Journey to Insanity and Romance
by MichaelCross
Summary: Sousuke and Kaname finally realize their feelings for each other. Story is prequel to 'Specialist and Schoolgirl'. Has lemon scene within.
1. Questions of the Heart and Travel Plans

Journey to Insanity and Romance

Disclaimer: I do not own Full Metal Panic! Wish I did though.

Author's Note: Since I got several good reviews for 'Specialist and the Schoolgirl', I figure a pair of prequels might be in order. I'll try to make this first one a bit longer than the oneshot. Please, bear with me on this. There will be some out of character behavior and a strong lemon scene. Along with some very strange twists and appearances by characters from other series. Thank you kindly.

Questions of the Heart and Travel Plans

In Tokyo, Japan, in the district of Tamagawa, Kaname Chidori is pacing her apartment, picking petals off of a flower. Right now, she's asking the biggest question of her life. Whether or not she has feelings for her bodyguard, friend and constant headache, Sousuke Sagara, Sergeant of Mithril. Being 'Whispered' certainly hadn't been a picnic for her, let alone having a gung-ho, combat-ready warrior around her.

But, somehow, someway, he's always made her feel safe. Perhaps safer than she had ever thought possible. Of course, there were some close calls in the past. But Sousuke had always made them all turn out for the best. She then sighs as she recalls her first feelings about him.

At first, he seemed like a freak to her, but then he revealed his actual reason for being nearby. As time went by, they had some comical adventures and even more absurd misadventures. Then came the greatest time for the both of them. When Sousuke took her to his secret fishing spot at Mithril's Pacific Base, she found the whole scene to be beautiful. When he invited her to fish with him, she readily accepted and promptly hooked a massive fish.

She giggles as she recalls what she told Sousuke that day.

"_I wanna catch and take this thing home, Sousuke!" _

"_Roger!"_

She comes out of the memory in time to say, "He may be a moody military maniac, but at least he's kind. It's just too bad that he's had a hard life, otherwise he'd fit in just perfectly. He's just like a diamond in the rough. With a lot of rough edges and artillery pieces around him." At that, she laughs at the truth of the statement.

Not one to lose track of where she was, she resumes the questioning of her heart. "I love Sousuke. I love him not. I love him." She alternates the remarks with each pull on the petal. For a girl unsure of her feelings, given her current circumstances, it's as logical as she can decide.

When she gets to the last petal, she pulls it off, smiles and says, very softly, "I am in love with him." At the realization, she goes into the bathroom and vomits, trying to get the images in her mind out. When she's done, she looks up incredulously.

"A wedding? Kids? They'll turn out to be just like Sousuke and/or me." She gets up from the toilet, goes to the sink and washes out her mouth. Now unsure of her comment at the moment, she ponders it and shrugs.

"Then again, there is no such thing as too many military maniacs running around here. Sousuke's more than enough. However, I now know I do have warm feelings for him. Does he feel the same way about me?" She looks over at Sousuke's adjacent apartment building and sees him working out.

She sighs wistfully as she observes him doing chin-ups, wondering what he's doing up this time of night. She then catches sight of the scar at his left flank and cringes as she recalls how he had gotten it.

It was during their time in Khanka that Sousuke revealed himself to be more than meets the eye. From piloting an RK-92 Savage to surviving a grenade attack by the skin on his teeth. He was very lucky that no arteries or organs were shredded by the flak from the explosions against the massive robot.

When Kaname heard that he was going to carry out his duty even with the injury, it stunned her. A guy she had a slight crush on was only concerned with his duty to protect her, at all costs. Even his own life if need be. He convinced her to trust in him, a battle-hardened young man. It was the best move she ever made, in her opinion anyway.

She looks up at the sky and says, "Mom, if you can hear me, please, don't let any Savages run loose around here. I don't want to lose Sousuke. Not when I am just now realizing how I feel about him."

She then turns her attention back to Sousuke's building and sees him looking at her. She shyly waves and closes her curtains, sighing as she does so. Once they're closed, she giggles and says, "He's still an odd bird. But at least he's my odd bird." She then walks away from the window and wonders if he feels the same way about her.

Suddenly, she hears a gunshot. Worried, she goes back to her window and peeks out the curtain. She then sighs in relief as she sees Sousuke standing with a still-smoking .38 snub-nosed revolver in his hand, pointed at a wall. Seeing he's still alive, she closes the curtain right back and heads for her bed.

"I guess he had a hostile party come barge in on him. His reflexes saved his life, like they have all those other times. No wonder he said he'd rather watch rookie soldiers dance. Killers these days are a joke."

Snickering, she smiles in approval of his action and says, "That'll teach anyone not to mess with my Sousuke. He's a very good shot." Her eyes then light up as she realizes what she had just said.

"My Sousuke. I kinda like the sound of that." With that, she smiles softly as she turns in for the night.

However, that was not the reason for the gunshot from Sousuke's apartment.

Sousuke had finished with his chin-ups and was looking around when he saw Kaname looking right at him. She had then smiled at him and closed her curtains. Confused about his feelings, he decided to do a test of 'Russian Roulette' with his revolver. Only he'd aim it at a target of his most hated enemy, Gauron. The man had proven to be harder to kill than a ninja cockroach. He even told Kaname that one time and she even agreed on the harder to kill part.

For the past ¾ year, ever since the incident on the Tuatha de Danaan, he has been having strange thoughts and feelings. At least strange to him, having seen so much war in his life. From being on a battlefield to going to a civilian setting had him flustered at times. So he would cope the only way he knew how. In the course of his duties of protecting Kaname, he would destroy just about anything. As long as she was kept safe, it's not a problem for him.

However, she and the others around him never really understood all that he does. At least not until he revealed his actual purpose to Kaname that night in Khanka. She didn't even believe him until he had gotten into an RK-92 Savage and powered it up. He then proceeded to decimate his enemies. Kaname stared up at the massive Arm Slave in awe as she processed the information.

He even thinks about the time they spent together at his fishing spot. The feel of her torso within his arms as he was trying to keep her from going swimming in a most peculiar fashion. He found himself having a peculiar feeling down in his gut and found that feeling to be most delightful, yet curious at the same time.

Sousuke snaps back to present time and proceeds with his questioning, eager to get an answer. One way or another. Every time he'd pull the hammer back and pull the trigger, he would ask, alternating each time, "Do I love Kaname? Do I love her not?" Every time the hammer would click, it would be a maybe. If it went of, the answer would be a definite yes. Meticulous as usual, he kept exact track of the questions.

Pulling the hammer back one more time, he asks, "Do I love Kaname?" He pulls the trigger and BAM! The gun went off, giving Sousuke his answer.

With sweat dripping from his face, he says, "Oh dear. Not good.The Lieutenant Commander's not going to like this, let alone the Captain. At least I nailed the target in the head." He then ponders even further and adds, "Then again, the answer just might be good for me. The bigger question is, does Kaname feel the same way?"

He looks over at her building and sees that her lights are out. He quietly says, "I don't know if I'll ever be suitable for romance, but I'm willing to learn. Under the right circumstances."

Giving himself a derisive chuckle, he then softly asks, "Since when are circumstances ever right?" Turning off his light, he goes underneath his cot and falls asleep.

The next morning, Kaname is waiting for Sousuke to show up at their usual meeting spot. She had slept rather well, considering that she was up until early in the morning before she woke up. She figures that since her question was answered, she might sleep a little bit better. When she woke up, she had her daily routine and added something new.

"Mom, I realized my feelings for Sousuke. I just hope he feels the same way about me. Wish us luck, okay. See you later, Mom."

Kaname snaps back to the present, not noticing Sousuke walking up to her position. He then quietly comes up behind her and says, "Ready when you are, Kaname."

Kaname jumps in fright and whips out her halisen, hitting him as she comes back down, laughing and snarling at the same time.

She then asks him, "Are you trying to give me a heart attack, Sousuke? Because if you are, you nearly succeeded! You moody, military maniac!"

Calming herself down, she puts the halisen away and asks, "How'd the disposal go, Sousuke?"

"Disposal, Kaname?"

"Yeah, you know. The intruder you shot last night. How'd it go?"

"Oh that. No intruder, Kaname. Just asking myself a couple of questions with 'Russian Roulette', only I aimed my revolver at the target of Gauron."

"Really? And what was the answer you came up with, Sousuke?"

"Yes."

Kaname is now curious as to what the questions might have been. She then asks, "Would you mind telling me the questions you asked yourself, Sousuke?"

Sweating, Sousuke replies, "Later on, Kaname. We better get to school. Come on!" He then starts walking away from a perplexed Kaname, ensuring a clear path for her. She starts snickering as she thinks about his behavior so far this morning.

"At least he's being consistent. Sweating and vague, evasive answers. I wouldn't have him any other way." Running after him, she catches up to him and says, "I've been asking myself some questions as well, Sousuke. The answer is yes. Would you like to know what the questions were?"

"I think I can guess, Kaname."

Both teens keep on walking until they reach the train station and ride together in silence. When the train reaches the Sengawa district, they get off the train and make their way to their school. When they get there, they stop in front of Jindai High School.

Sousuke then turns to face her, sighs and says, "It's later on, Kaname. The questions I was asking myself was whether or not I was in love with you. It's the affirmative. I'm in love with you, Kaname Chidori."

Stunned, Kaname blushes as she says, "My questions were whether or not I felt the same way. Sousuke Sagara, I'm in love with you too."

Stepping closer to him, she softly says, "Sousuke."

"Kaname."

Both teens wrap each other in an embrace and are about to kiss when Shinji Kazama and Kyoko Tokiwa run up to greet them. Their friends are wearing their greeting smiles as they get closer to them.

"Kaname. Hurry or you'll be late. Good morning, Sousuke." Kyoko looks at her friends and smiles on the inside, knowing they'd just realized their feelings for each other. She then thinks, 'They're perfect for each other.'

"Come on, Sousuke. Miss Kagurazaka's on the warpath today because of your detonation of the rock garden yesterday. It's not a good idea to make her mood any worse. Hello, Kaname." Shinji noticed the mood between them as well, but he didn't want them to be humiliated in public. 'Every time I see them, they smile on the inside when they're together. I hope they start smiling in public soon.'

"Hello Kyoko." Sousuke nods his head at his other friends and shivers slightly on the inside from the look on Kyoko's face. 'Does Tokiwa know about myself and Kaname? I must tread lightly here.'

"Hello Shinji." Kaname has the same reaction on the inside, only she thinks, 'If only they didn't interrupt us. I could have handled the taunting. Or at least Sousuke could have." Their two friends then rush into the school building as the two teens separate from the potential kiss.

Kaname sighs as she says, "Leave it to Shinji and Kyoko to ruin what might have been a heavenly kiss." She disengages her arms from around Sousuke and sighs miserably.

Sousuke nods as he replies, "Affirmative. It could have been worse, however. It could have been Mizuki Inaba that interrupted us. If word had spread, I would shudder to think what could happen." He unwraps his arms as well and gives her a faint smile.

"I agree. Let's take things slowly and easy. Okay, Sousuke?" Seeing him smile lights her up inside, even if it is faint.

"Affirmative. It will not be a problem." Sousuke gives her a nod as they both turn toward the school.

'I hope' is the thought that both teens have in their minds before they go inside. Just before they get too further, the P.A. makes an announcement.

"Will Kaname Chidori of Class 2-4 come to the office? Kaname Chidori to the office. You have a phone call." As Kaname heads to the office, she gives Sousuke's hand a squeeze and heads for the office.

Five minutes after she heads for the office, Sousuke's communicator goes off.

"Sagara. Yes, sir. I see. Yes, some rest would be a good idea. But what about Miss Chidori, sir? Understood. Urzu 7 out." He then makes his way to the office when he sees Kaname walk out, with a downcast look on her face.

Worried, he asks, "Kaname, is something wrong?"

Kaname shakes her head no and then bobs it yes, saying, "My Father wants me to come visit him and Ayame in the States. He doesn't know about my situation, Sousuke."

She turns her head, tears in her eyes and she adds, "He told me I can bring a companion with me. But, you're needed at all times. You're always on call, Sousuke." She starts sobbing and sinks onto the floor.

Sousuke then says, "I don't know if it'll help, but I have accrued enough leave time to be off duty for three months. I've been placed on forced vacation, as per Captain Testarossa's orders. She feels I may burn myself out without relaxation. Of course, I'll have to transport my standard weapons cache with me, just in case." He bends down to give her a hand up, with her accepting it.

Kaname, blushing furiously, giggles as she gets up off the floor and says, "Knowing you, Sousuke, you'd probably bring a Howitzer with you."

Curious, Sousuke asks, "Are we really allowed to do so? I'll go see about a Howitzer to transport with us." Before Sousuke can walk away, Kaname traps him in her arms and kisses him on the lips.

She then says, "I need to do some serious work on you, Sousuke Sagara. Starting with a sense of humor and jokes at times." She laughs as she wraps her arms around him much further and is pleasantly surprised when she feels his arms around her. She luxuriates in the embrace in time for Mizuki and the others to come up to them.

Including Dotaro Onodera, otherwise known as Ono-D, another friend of theirs. Also with them is Saturo Shirai, who has his eyes aflame. His temper rises as he thinks about how badly Sousuke had humiliated him in front of his date when he scared Shirai with his gun.

He then angrily charges Sousuke, saying, "You crazy loser! You're not charming. I am! What do you have that I don't? Other than all that otaku nonsense."

Sousuke turns to Shirai, grins and says, "Get lost, eh." He then pulls out his Glock 17 and starts shooting at him with rubber bullets. Shirai takes off, running in panicked fear.

Sousuke slides his Glock back into place and casually asks, "Shall we make travel plans, Kaname?"

Kaname giggles and replies, "I'll let you handle that portion, Sousuke. You did a wonderful job last time we went somewhere alone. Just no skydiving, all right? At least not over the ocean. Although, it was kinda fun. My sweet, rugged Prince Sousuke from the Land of Enemy Destruction."

Sousuke nods and says, "Just leave it to me. My fair, lovely damsel, Lady Kaname from the Land of Happiness."

Sousuke then walks away, a smile on his face. He then realizes that it was the first time that he feels truly happy. For the first time in a long time, he feels happiness in an unexpected manner after seeing so much war and death all around him.

The others look at Kaname and see that she is blushing and smiling warmly. Thinking something is very wrong with her, they all back away and head for class. Miss Eri Kagurazaka then comes out of the classroom and sees Kaname in a daze.

She snaps her fingers under Kaname's nose and says, "Your Prince Charming is gone, Miss Chidori. So, where's Mr. Sagara at? Destroying more school property? He rung up quite a bill from his last blast yesterday."

"I certainly hope he is, Teacher. I certainly hope he is. He makes this place lively, with the explosions and all."

Still in a daze, Kaname leaves Miss Kagurazaka with her mouth wide open in shock, walks into the classroom and takes a seat at her desk. Once seated, she dreamily smiles at the word that Sousuke and she had both arrived at.

'Yes'.

Meanwhile, Sousuke's working on the travel plans for their trip to New York in America. Kaname had told him all about her time there and he's curious about the whole New York experience. He gets on his communicator and informs Lt. Commander Andrei Kalinin of their intentions and also his most recent discovery.

He, in turn, replies, "I'm proud of you, Sergeant. However, Mithril doesn't really approve of romantic entanglements. Especially when our members fall for their charges. However, in your case, it just might be a good thing. Just be careful not to overdo it. Tell 'Angel' SRT Lead sends regards."

"Urzu 7, roger."

Sousuke closes communication with a smile on his face, a truly and very rare thing for him. He starts feeling like he's on a smart minefield in a peaceful setting, yet strangely at peace with the knowledge of said minefield.

'This must be what Cloud 9 feels like' Sousuke mused as he walks toward the classroom.

Suddenly, he finds himself confronted by Issei Tsubaki, the school's martial arts expert. Tsubaki puts on his glasses and starts moving his arms around, gathering his strength.

"Sagara, you'll pay for what you've done to Kaname! You made her fall in love with you! Prepare for pain, you lunatic!" Tsubaki throws a punch, but Sousuke's able to block it and shove him back.

He then draws his Glock and says, "Get lost, turkey." He opens fire, just like on Shirai earlier, only this time, the rubber bullets strike Tsubaki right in the groin. As the martial artist folds onto the ground, Sousuke steps around him and proceeds into the classroom. However, his action did not go unnoticed by Miss Kagurazaka.

Miss Kagurazaka comes into the classroom behind him and says, "Mr. Sagara, I don't how you pulled it off, but Miss Chidori has started to enjoy your dangerously twisted perception of the world around you." She then hands him the bill for the repairs and adds, "The repairs will cost about 80,000 yen. I hope you're pleased with yourself."

"As long as Kaname and the others are kept safe, it's not a problem. Unless you prefer snakes in the rock garden. Very poisonous snakes. Had I not done something, someone could have died from the venom. That's why I had placed land mines in the rock garden."

This causes Miss Kagurazaka's eyes to bulge out as Sousuke makes his way to his seat, right beside Kaname's. She then scowls as she recalls what Sousuke did to Tsubaki just before he went into the classroom. Muttering darkly, she goes to her desk and prepares to start the lesson.

Meanwhile, Sousuke takes his seat beside Kaname and nods that the arrangements had been made. Kaname nods back and smiles at his efficiency in making the arrangements. The rest of the class time is spent on their studies. As they work, they can't help but see Miss Kagurazaka's face darken every time they look up. On the way out after class, Sousuke pulls Kaname into a corner gently and whispers into her ear.

"SRT Lead sends regards, 'Angel'." Kaname smiles at the regard from the Special Response Team Commander and Father figure to Sousuke. She then strokes his cheek and the new coupling goes on to their remaining classes of the day.

As they walk away, Miss Kagurazaka makes a vow to find out exactly how much of an otaku Sousuke Sagara actually is and just how Kaname Chidori can stand having him around. Ever since he had transferred in, the school had become a war zone, complete with landmines and explosions.

The incident with the 'Full Monty Bacteria' had left her humiliated beyond belief. The tall redhead clenches her fist and affirms her intent to learn more about Sousuke and his past.

At the end of the day, as Sousuke and Kaname walk through the hallway, hand in hand, they see a familiar face. The face of Ena Saeki, the first girl to ever try to give Sousuke a love letter.

Ena sees them both and smiles a small, sad smile. Sousuke's heart goes out to her and he elects to clear the air between them to clear up any misunderstandings on his part.

"Hello, Miss Saeki. You look well."

"You do as well, Mr. Sagara. Just, out of curiosity, why did you detonate my love letter to you?"

Sighing, he replies, "I don't come from the same world you live in. My world is one of war, all around me. I was never allowed to even ponder relationships as I was growing up among the other children of Afghanistan. It took me quite a while to finally adjust to this kind of world, for the most part. But, when I saw my alert system, it set my defensive systems to condition red."

Curious, Ena asks, "What was your alert system, Sagara?"

"A piece of hair on my locker door. If it's ever out of place, it means someone had tampered with it."

He then turns back to Kaname and sees her grinning broadly, knowing she's promising some kind of admonishment as she laughs. Strangely enough, he finds himself looking forward to it, since he can handle being hit by her halisen.

"A piece of hair? On your locker door? Why not a concussive grenade on the inside of the locker or some other maddening method? You carry that kind of stuff all the time, I believe. You crazed otaku!"

Finding himself to be brazen now, he leans forward and whispers, "Since you know a few things about ordnance, I'll tell you something about myself. I've seen a lot of war and both good and bad people die. I am no otaku. I'm a soldier that just happens to be a teenager still. I'll leave you with that thought in mind." The revelation stuns her into silence.

He returns to Kaname's side and they both then head to the Student Council's office to speak with Atsunobu Hayashimizu, the Student Body President. Kaname, as Student Body Vice-President and Class Representative, is able to get them both in to see Atsunobu. Her intent? Telling him the news regarding her and Sousuke.

To her surprise, he chuckles and clicks his fan closed, saying, "I figured it would happen sooner or later. Mr. Sagara, how did you come across your feelings for our esteemed Vice-President?"

"'Russian Roulette', your Excellency. With the revolver aimed at my northern wall and a target in place."

Atsunobu chuckles at that and says, "Well, that's one way of doing things, I guess. How about yourself, Miss Chidori?"

"I just picked petals off of a flower, President Hayashimizu. I think it's pretty safe to say we've been dancing around our feelings for one another long enough and decided to ask ourselves some very strong questions."

Atsunobu grins as he thinks about Ren Mikihara and nods, knowing what his two finest Officers with the Council are talking about.

With a proud and concerned look on his features, he then says, "Mr. Sagara, just because you have started realizing your feelings does not mean you are to start slouching on your Security responsibilities. I'm impressed with the reduction of damage to the school and grounds once you had gotten used to being with us here. Of course, if you feel the need to blow something up, there'll always be a place with your name on it on the shoe-lockers. We'll even throw in a simulation as a teaching tool for the other students. Say, perhaps once a month. I'll discuss it with the teachers. Any questions so far?"

"Negative, your Excellency."

"No, President Hayashimizu."

"Ah, very good. As you are both aware, school's about to let out for the summer. The school system has graciously given all schools within the district one extra month along with the usual three months. This starts tomorrow. Evidently, they feel that the students are starting to feel burnt out. Since you have done well on your end of year tests, it's safe to say you have earned it. Need I say more?"

At that, they both reply, "Negative, sir." Atsunobu chuckles and opens his fan, a signal indicating that the time for discussion has ended.

As both teens leave the office, Kaname whispers, "You don't suppose he knows anything about me, your purpose here or Mithril, do you Sousuke?"

Sousuke can only shrug in befuddlement as he replies, "For as long as I've observed him and his judgments, his Excellency has proven himself to be rather enigmatic. It's possible he knows or just strongly suspects something. Any possibilities should not be dismissed before we have sufficient information to go on. For now, we'll just play it by ear, Kaname." Kaname nods in agreement at the idea as the couple leaves the school and prepare for their trip.

Along the way home, they come across a face they hadn't wanted to see ever since the 'Pony Man' incident. Officer Yoko Wakana is walking a new beat when she sees Sousuke. Recognizing him, she grins maniacally and charges at him.

"Double Rider! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" She brings out her P90 submachine guns and starts shooting at him. "Now you're mine, Mr. Double Rider!" As the rounds fly out, Sousuke manages to take cover, drawing his Glock.

To her shock, she sees a halisen coming her way and manages to duck it in time to avoid getting smacked silly by Kaname. "You? Miss Blue Hair? Why are you defending him?"

"He's my boyfriend. That's all you need to know, you loon. Aren't you supposed to be at home asleep? Or at least in a funny farm?"

"Why you!" Wakana is about to hit Kaname when she sees Sousuke pop up in front of her, with his Glock's barrel under her chin.

"You will not harm my girlfriend. Is that understood? Now, you can either calm down or we can shoot it out right here and now. It will not be a problem for me. Of course, Kaname and I are about to head to the States so we can visit her family. So, on that note, we don't have much time, Officer Wakana."

Wakana looks at the both of them, shrugs and says, "Off with the both of you, then. As long as you're not hanging out with that crazed Bonta-kun, you'll be all right. Oh, and the 'Pony Man' started his own hair salon upon release from Prison. I've got an appointment tomorrow to see about getting my hair tamed somewhat. Have fun on your trip. When you two return, we'll have our fight then."

Sousuke holsters the Glock, nods and replies, "I look forward to it, Officer Wakana." She returns the nod and resumes her beat. Sousuke and Kaname walk along the sidewalk and examine the cherry blossoms starting to bloom.

Kaname sighs and says, "That was so close, Sousuke. This time, she was somewhat subdued. She's either slipping or she has a crush on someone. If it's the latter, I can't help but worry about the person she has in mind. Oh, did you ever find out why your freelance projects didn't sell well?"

Shrugging, he replies, "Apparently, it was because of it's configuration. Evidently the Police Departments around the world felt it would not be an appropriate Uniform for their Officers."

Kaname shrugs, nods in understanding, starts giggling and says, "Sousuke, let no one tell you different. You are truly a piece of work."

"That's affirmative." That has them both laughing as they finish getting home.


	2. Departure and Flight

Journey to Insanity and Romance p 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Full Metal Panic! Wish I did though.

Departure and Flight

The next day, Sousuke and Kaname get ready to leave their apartments to meet at their usual corner. Since school had let out for the summer according to the revised schedule, this allowed the two teens to make their plans even though in short notice.

Sousuke checks his standard weapons cache while Kaname checks her luggage. Sousuke nods in approval at the cache and proceeds to pack his clothing. Kaname ponders whether or not to take her halisen. She then shrugs and puts it in her luggage anyway. As an afterthought, she adds an extra one.

She smirks and says, "Just like Sousuke would say, 'Just in case'. And this time, the trip will not have a problem. If there are any hijackers on the plane today, they may want to consider a career change. If they do not, I personally know someone that'll do his job and make them all disappear." She then giggles, only for it to turn into a laugh that would do a hyena proud.

She calms down enough to say, "I'll say this much for Sousuke. There's never a dull moment with him around."

Smiling, she twirls around her apartment, picks up the picture of her Mother and says, "I finally did it, Mom. I told Sousuke how I feel about him. He feels the same way. Only he didn't do it the conventional way. He used a gun to determine his answer. I just hope Daddy'll understand about Sousuke's weaponry and not ask too many questions."

She then softly giggles again and adds, "Then again, it might do him some good to meet a soldier that's my age. Not just any soldier, Mom. A Specialist. He lost his parents at an early age, that much I'm sure of. I just wish I knew how he got that scar on his cheek. If the people that he took up with gave him that scar, they'd better be dead. Nobody does that to an innocent boy before he becomes the ultimate warrior or before he meets the girl whose life and world he forever changes. Let alone turns upside-down with his actions."

Her giggle soon becomes another loud and raucous laugh. Very soon, she's close to going onto the floor and kicking her feet in hilarity. She then calms down enough to catch a glimpse of Sousuke as he finishes putting his clothing into his bag, lifts both bags onto his shoulders and exits the dwelling. Checking her watch, Kaname leaves a note for Kyoko as she had asked Kyoko to watch her hamster and fish. Looking around the apartment one more time, Kaname smiles and leaves the apartment.

Down on street level, Sousuke had just reached their usual meeting point when he sees Kaname coming at him, a bright smile on her face. When she gets to him, a white Mithril van with laundry service markings on it arrives to pick them up. Behind the wheel is Sergeant Kurz Weber and in the passenger seat is Sergeant Major Melissa Mao.

Kaname smiles and says, "Hi Kurz and Melissa. How are you doing today?"

Kurz, ever the blond-haired flirt, replies, "You know, getting pleasure from sis here. Oww." Raven-haired Melissa removes her elbow from Kurz's stomach, smiles wickedly and nods at Sousuke and Kaname.

She then says, "I've been doing fine, Kaname. Ready for your flight?"

Kaname asks, "Is it weird?"

"Nope."

"Is it dangerous?"

"Nope, no danger. The flight is a Mithril charter. Just like when you visited us on the Tuatha de Danaan. Hopefully, this time around, you won't have to swim attached to a Turtle while breathing through a regulator."

Kaname smiles and says, "That was fun, in a way. Just a little unexpected, that's all. Thanks to Sergeant Serious here." Melissa nods as Sousuke loads their luggage into the back of the van.

Kaname then asks, "How many weapons in your cache, Sousuke? We won't be going after terrorists while in New York. Hopefully, that is." She snaps her fingers and remembers one way she can honor Sousuke and the job he does without ruining his cover.

Sousuke is thinking the same thing as he remarks, "This will be an ideal opportunity to see Ground Zero. But I can't help but wonder if we'd have time to go to the Pentagon and the field in Pennsylvania."

Kaname smiles, takes his arm and says, "It's your trip too, Sousuke. We just gotta tell my Father all about the situation. Maybe he'd understand. I know I do." She then pecks him on his cheek and smiles before she gets into the van. Sousuke grins and shakes his head as he gets into the van as well and shuts the door behind him.

With that, the masterful sniper of the Special Response Team pulls away from the curb, trying to stir up conversation with Kaname and Sousuke. Needless to say, his questions and comments are getting to be downright annoying. The questions and comments stop coming after Melissa hits Kurz in his stomach and grins savagely.

Within twenty minutes, they arrive at Tokyo Airport and Melissa goes to check on the plane. Five minutes later, she comes back, her face pale, and asks, "Did you tell anyone your travel plans, guys? Because a bunch of your classmates are here to see you off. What's even worse, they saw me in my fatigues. Thank goodness our Mithril patches are removable."

Kaname blushes as she says, "I only told Kyoko, Ren and Maya. I guess they told everyone else that gathered. I'm sorry Melissa. I didn't figure on them coming to see us off."

Sousuke looks at his duffel bag, smiles and says, "Kaname, you might want to exit the van now. I've got an idea. Kurz, make like you're getting ready to go on a convention circuit and tell Kaname all kinds of Military stories. Kaname, make like you're humoring him."

The others smile as they catch on and Kaname says, "If they expect you to be a Military otaku, you'll actually dress the part. Sort of like a spin to your actual purpose here."

"That's affirmative."

At that, Kaname and Kurz get out of the van, with Kurz telling Kaname all about his training as a sniper. Kaname, in turn, laughs out loud at how ridiculous he sounds. Melissa then comes up and tells Kaname out loud what kind of guy Sousuke really is.

"He's the only one I know of that can run a marathon through a minefield and come out clean, even under enemy fire."

Intrigued, but eager to keep up the act, Kaname smiles and says, "Tell me more, Melissa, please. I'd like to know what is in my future with Sousuke. Or if I even have a future."

Melissa softly smiles and replies, "If you two have a future, make it a good and happy one. Heaven knows Sousuke deserves some happiness in his life. He hasn't had any in the past. Not since he lost his family to a violent shooting by Soviet troops. He hasn't even laughed in front of me since they died. Except for the first eight years of his life, he's been pretty gloomy. Kalinin has the rest of the necessary details."

Gasping, Kaname puts her hand to her mouth and softly whispers, "How awful. Is that how he got that scar as well?" Before Melissa can answer, the van's door opens and Sousuke steps out, fatigues and Mithril patch on. Melissa points at her shoulder. Sousuke pulls the patch off and stuffs it into his pocket.

Kaname can't help but grin at how good Sousuke looks in his fatigues. She manages to hold her laughter in check as she watches Sousuke salute Melissa even though she's a superior NCO. Shinji and Kyoko manage to get Kurz's best model pose for when he appeared on 'Tag' magazine. Shinji even manages to get a picture of Melissa decking Kurz after getting her butt grabbed by him.

The Rugby Team even gives their regards to the new couple by expressing themselves the way that Sousuke taught them as their Instructor.

"You both are worthless slime! You took way too long in realizing your feelings for each other! When you return, we want to see you both hanging onto each other like your lives depended on it! Is that understood, Sergeant and Miss Manager?"

"Affirmative!" Both teens shoot off a salute at the Squad Captain. He then surprises them both by giving them a soft yet strong hug.

"Just because he made us a little more savage than before doesn't mean we are totally barbaric. We're all proud of you, Miss Chidori and Mr. Sagara. We can't even begin to think of a finer couple than yourselves." The Team then walks away from them, roughhousing with each other as they leave.

Maya Mukai grins as she looks Sousuke over in his fatigues and says, "You sure pull the look off well, Sousuke. Don't you agree, Ryo?"

Ryo Kojima nods as she replies, "It's almost as if he was meant to wear fatigues, Maya."

Ren comes up, bows and says, "Congratulations, Miss Chidori and Mr. Sagara. I cannot think of a finer match-up than the both of you. Miss Chidori, I look forward to seeing you wearing fatigues when you return to school."

Starting to giggle, Kaname nods at Ren and replies, "It could set a whole new fashion trend." She then turns to Sousuke and asks, "Ready for the next convention, Sousuke?"

Sousuke grins and replies, "Affirmative. I'll see you later, Sgt. Major, Sergeant. See you both in three months, if not sooner." This has the girls and guys gathered laughing.

Melissa chuckles then laughs as she wraps Sousuke in a hug and says, "Take real good care of Kaname, Sousuke. Not many girls like her out there."

Kurz nods and hands him a box, saying, "Yeah, Sousuke. Real good care." Cackling madly, Kurz runs away from the gathered teens, with Melissa right on his heels, yelling furiously. Sousuke and Kaname look at the box and see the word 'Condoms'.

Sousuke nods and remarks, "At least we'll have plenty of emergency canteens."

Blushing, Kaname whispers into his ear, telling him the actual intent of the items. When she's done, she sees their friends giggling and whispering. This causes both their faces to blush deeply, jaws to drop and Sousuke starts sweating heavily.

"Uh." Kaname's explanation has him stunned, as he's used to using various items like they are emergency supplies. Instead of their intended purpose.

Kaname recovers her jaw, gets really angry at Kurz, whips out her halisen and throws it at his head, knocking him senseless upon impact. Impressed with her aim, Sousuke, whispering into her ear, reminds her of when he threw her up into the air in order to bring down a Hind with an Anti-Armor dagger from Arbalest.

Of course, Kaname remembers that as well. So she whaps him with her spare halisen, laughing as she does so. She then kisses him on his cheek and blushes. Sousuke smiles fully at her, prompting her to look around to see about an instant camera. Finding none, she resolves to buy one for the next time Sousuke smiles. Suddenly, they hear Kyoko giggle as she comes up to Sousuke, holding her little camera.

"Sousuke, I got your smile on my camera. I'll be sure to make copies for everybody." She then scampers over to Shinji so he could see Sousuke's smile.

Mizuki walks up to Sousuke, takes a deep breath and says, "I'm sorry I punched you, Sousuke. I should have realized you were trying to help me save face one more time with my friends. They told me that they had realized it when you reappeared and pulled out your gun on Shirai."

She then sighs, blushes and adds, "The kiss was nice, if not a little unexpected. Next time, give a girl some kind of warning, all right?"

Mizuki, with her red hair at shoulder length, blushes deeper as she thinks about the kiss that was given to her. "Kaname, you are so lucky to have Sousuke in your life. Just like he is lucky to have you in his. Sousuke, you take good care of Kaname. Please."

"Affirmative, Mizuki Inaba. I'll do just that." Next thing they know, they see Tsubaki walking toward them, limping. Kaname looks at him with a question in her eyes.

Sousuke then shrugs and replies, "I shot him in the groin with rubber slugs from my Glock yesterday." This causes Kaname to grimace and wince in pain from Sousuke's description.

When he gets to them, he nods in greeting to the others. He then cringes slightly at Mizuki's face, only to change to a pleasant smile for her. Looking around and seeing everyone else, he addresses Sousuke.

"Sagara, we sure come from different worlds. You, from the world of warfare. Myself, the world of Martial Arts. Yet, somehow we became something akin to friends, especially when we were helping Mr. Onuki with his duties."

Sousuke nods and adds, "Then things got really hectic with the business about his koi. Who would have thought that he was taking care of it? Perhaps he should have put up a sign that says 'No Fishing' at the pond it was in. That would saved ammunition and his sanity." Tsubaki nods, grins and turns to Mizuki.

"Mizuki, I know you have feelings for me. But, could we go slowly, please? I don't think I could survive another 'Full Monty' situation. Sagara barely survived the last one." Mizuki nods and giggles, looking right at Sousuke as she does so. This has Sousuke feeling quite nervous as Kaname is running her fingers through his hair.

"Kaname, I have something to tell you." Kyoko had come back up to her friend with a sweet smile on her face.

"What is it, Kyoko?"

"I was the one that told Sousuke about your friend, Senior Fuwa. He wanted to put the screws to him, but I managed to talk him out of it. When he saw those Yakuza hassling you, he told me that he was a professional soldier. It didn't matter who you're friends with, he will protect you. Once he put on his shades, I could have sworn he was going to go 'Terminator' on them. The way he handled them as Bonta-kun was heroic, just like when he pulled you out of that truck's path."

"Yeah, he is good at giving off that effect, Kyoko. I even saw him doing some 'Terminator' action at the conventions." Melissa had walked back to the gathered teens after giving Kurz a series of good sized belts to his chops. Giving Kaname a wink, she cackles as Kyoko and Mizuki ask Sousuke to do his 'Terminator' bit. Surprisingly enough, he pulls it off rather well.

He even adds the famous line from one of the movies. "Hasta la vista, baby."

After saying their goodbyes to their classmates and friends, the two board the twin turboprop and take their seats. Kaname looks outside and sees Mizuki and Tsubaki, holding each other slightly, smiling and waving goodbye. Mizuki then brings up a sign.

It says, 'Have lots of kids, guys. It's the only way you and Sousuke'll settle down. Especially Sousuke.'

Right then and there, Kaname's wishing that she was hitting Mizuki with her halisen right now. But she settles for blushing and pressing herself close to Sousuke. Sousuke wraps his arm around her and holds her tight. At that, the plane starts taking off, with the others scrambling to get clear.

He then snaps his fingers and says, "I've got a couple of items for you, Kaname. One is this." He reaches into his bag, brings out and hands her a book.

It reads, 'From a Soldier's Mind and Mouth to a Civilian's Ears and Heart. An Otaku Translation Guide. By Sergeant Sousuke Sagara (Uh, Please Disregard the Sergeant Part)'.

Laughing, Kaname throws her arms around Sousuke and kisses him on his lips, saying, "I love it, and you. Don't ever change, Sousuke. You may be an odd bird, but you've also found the girl that'll understand you and your personality." Still laughing, she kisses him again, with Sousuke returning the kiss with passion.

When they separate from the kiss, Sousuke then says, "I understand that New York is a very rough place to be. So I had these made especially for you." He brings out a small jewelry box and opens it. Inside is a pair of globe-shaped earrings and a silver/gold bracelet.

Kaname grins and says, "Let me guess. The bracelet is a tracer and the earrings are flash-bang type grenades."

Sousuke replies, "Not quite, Kaname. While you're correct on the bracelet, it's also a vocal transmitter. I can hear every word you're saying with this earpiece. It's in case we're ever separated from each other. Radius is three miles. The earrings are fragmentation-type grenades."

In shock, Kaname lowly whistles and says, "Crowd pleasers, oh boy. Blast radius?"

"Five feet."

"Amount of time before detonation?"

"Ten seconds upon pulling the stem off of the earring. Once you pull it, run as fast as you can. Having watched you run, you can get out of the blast area within five seconds, leaving the thugs confused until the big bang comes."

Shyly and sinisterly chuckling as she blushes, Kaname says, "I think I'll put them on when we get to New York, Sousuke. It might be safer that way. Either way, those thieves and perverts won't know what hit them."

Now concerned for her family's safety, she asks, "So, what shall we tell my Dad and sister, Sousuke?"

"Let's just tell them that we're friends that just recently discovered our feelings for one another. The less they know, the safer they'll be."

Kaname nods, smiles and says, "Yeah, I can just imagine Daddy saying, 'What? He's a soldier? He's too young to be one. He's also assigned to protect you? Because you contain technical knowledge before you even learn it? That's absurd!' That's probably what he'd say."

Sousuke stretches out on the seat and says, "In any case, we'll just wing it, I guess. This is the first time I've been on leave for a long time. I don't think I've ever had leave. Not since..."

"Since your parents died and you took up arms, Sousuke?" He looks at her and Kaname goes on. "Melissa told me back at the airport. How did you even survive, Sousuke? Other than fighting back, that is."

"I did what I had to do, Kaname. My parents were innocents, helping others. I still remember that day. Soviet troops came to the village my parents were at and opened fire. My Russian was spotty at the time, but I later learned that some of the soldiers were trying to get their comrades to stop firing. My parents died helping the wounded when those that were firing turned their weapons on them. I felt so vulnerable, so helpless, so angry. When the soldiers left, one of the Afghani warriors for the area came along and took me to their camp. The leader of the rebel camp drew his knife and dragged the blade across my cheek in a crossing pattern. That resulted in my scar. He then named me 'Kashim'. I never asked to be named that."

"Say no more, Sousuke. I get the picture. If I was in your shoes, I'd do the same thing. I'd take up arms and go after those that hurt me so badly. Then I'd turn my attention to all the other fruit loops in the world." She then goes over to Sousuke's seat, climbs into his lap and curls her body against his.

She sees his rare tears, dries them and hers, adding, "I'm so proud of you, Sousuke. You and Mithril accomplish what only a handful of people dream of. That's keeping this crazy, messed up world from going to pieces. Let no one else tell you different. You really are a great guy. You're awesome, just like I told you on the Tuatha de Danaan." She then gives him another kiss on his lips, this time using her tongue against his lips.

Sousuke slightly understands, given he's completely new at romance, and opens his mouth, allowing her tongue entry. Thinking he'd be wise to return the gesture, he does so. To his surprise, he hears Kaname giggling softly as they kiss.

When the two separate from their first French kiss, Kaname smiles her approval of his first romantic kiss. They then hold each other close and fall asleep together on the plane's seat. As this happens, the plane is already at 10,000 feet off the ground.


	3. Phone Call and Greetings

Journey to Insanity and Romance p 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Full Metal Panic! Wish I did though.

Phone Call and Greetings

Three hours later, Kaname wakes up and sees herself still pressed into Sousuke's body. She then smiles softly as she brushes her fingertips along his cheek over to his scar. She frowns as she thinks about all that he had been through as a child growing up, orphaned at such a young age. Let alone having his face damaged by those that took him in.

Feeling the need to go to the bathroom, she gently gets up and goes there. When she's seated, she starts weeping bitterly for his lost childhood. As her tears taper off, she thinks about all that they had been through together. From exploding shoe lockers, crazed teachers intent on ruining things and general mayhem every day to falling in love with each other.

When she gets done, she cleans the tears from her face, exits the bathroom and sees Sousuke still asleep. Lightly giggling, Kaname sees a phone and decides to call her Father's house. She punches in the access code for the phone and the phone number for her Father's house.

She then hears a voice she heard just the day before.

"Chidori Residence, this is Shunya."

"Hi Daddy."

"Kaname. How are you, pumpkin?"

"I'm doing fine, Daddy. I'm bringing a friend with me. We just realized our feelings for each other. And yes, it's a boy."

Shunya chuckles as he says, "Well, I figured it would happen sooner or later. I would have preferred you wait until you had gotten my permission. Or at least until you had gone through college. But, girls will find a way to spark something along with boys. What's he like?"

"He's like nothing you've come across before, that's for sure. He's very unique, but he's also nice and protective of me. You might actually say he's a force of nature. He actually makes me feel safe when he's nearby. And, it took us a while for us to realize our feelings for each other."

"What's his name, Kaname?"

"Sagara. Sousuke Sagara."

"I look forward to meeting him. Just how good is he to you?"

Kaname chuckles as she says, "I'll tell you when we arrive, Daddy. Sousuke's on a vacation with me."

"Very well, Kaname. When can we expect you to arrive?"

Kaname checks with the pilot and replies, "We should be arriving in ten more hours, Daddy. It's a private flight, so we'll be arriving on the tarmac."

"Very well, then. Ayame and I will meet you both on the tarmac, if not inside the terminal."

She hangs up the phone, smiles at the thought of Shunya meeting her boyfriend and hopes that he'll at least approve of Sousuke's style of dress and mannerisms. She can't help but giggle at the thoughts of his first impressions regarding Sousuke when they meet.

"_How'd you get that scar, young man?" _

"_It was done by an Afghani rebel leader when I was a boy, Mr. Chidori. Kaname, get down!" Sousuke then throws a fragmentation grenade at an approaching mugger on the tarmac, running right at them with murder in his eyes. _

_Shunya shudders after the grenade detonates, causing the mugger to go to pieces. "Sousuke, Kaname, is there something you wish to tell me?" _

"_It's not a problem, Mr. Chidori. I'm a soldier assigned to protect Kaname and also in love with her."_

"_A soldier? You're so young, Sousuke." _

"_That's affirmative. I'm also very good at it."_

Kaname laughs softly as she comes out of the reverie and looks over at Sousuke. To her delight, he's still asleep.

She then goes back to his seat, curls back against him and falls back asleep, this time angling herself so Sousuke can look down her blouse when he awakens. For extra measure, she undoes the buttons at the top. She then kisses his scarred cheek before she fully nods off into sleep, starting to dream very pleasant dreams about life with Sousuke.

Six hours later, Sousuke opens his eyes and blushes when he realizes he's looking down Kaname's blouse. He turns his eyes toward her face and sees a smug smile on her lips. Realizing that she had done it on purpose, Sousuke chances another look and his blush intensifies.

Snapping himself out of the trance, he says, "I've got to do something to relieve the pressure within me. First, I better get you back into your seat, Kaname."

Gingerly, he lifts up from his seat, Kaname still on his lap, and carries her over to her seat. As he places her down, he can feel her hand gripping his bicep as she moans. Smiling lightly, Sousuke runs his fingers through her long blue hair and gives her a kiss on her forehead. Seeing her smile softly, he smiles even wider as he gently steps away from his girlfriend's seat. He then proceeds to do some exercises to burn off some nervous energy.

Three hours later, Kaname wakes up in her original seat and blushes. Marveling at how quietly and softly Sousuke placed her back into her seat, she smiles warmly. She then looks around and sees Sousuke doing a weapon inventory. She smiles as she watches him check every detail and name the weapon by name.

She redoes her blouse's buttons, gets up, goes behind him and says, "Good morning, Sousuke."

"Good evening, Kaname." Confused, Kaname blinks before she slaps her forehead. They had crossed the international dateline during the flight. Sousuke then chuckles and says, "I know. It almost feels like going back in time. Doesn't it, Kaname?"

Kaname nods and replies, "I'll say it does. In any case, I called ahead to New York. Daddy'll be waiting for us on the tarmac, unless you want him to meet us inside the terminal."

"Let's meet him inside the terminal, Kaname. Out on the tarmac is a surefire way of being ambushed, no matter where one goes." Kaname nods in agreement with his assessment and proceeds to call home on the phone again. This time, Ayame answers the phone.

"Kaname, how are you, sis?"

"I'm doing fine, shorty. Tell Daddy we'll meet you guys inside the terminal. We'll be landing in about one hour, so that'll give you plenty of time to get to the airport to greet us."

"Okay, Kaname. Oh, are you really traveling with a boy that is not like anyone we've ever come across? That he's a force of nature? That sounds so romantic."

"Ayame! He's definitely something else altogether. And a force of nature to boot."

Ayame giggles and says, "I can hardly wait to meet him. What's his name?"

"Sousuke Sagara." Right then and there, Kaname wishes she can tell Ayame all about Mithril, her being 'Whispered' along with Sousuke being her bodyguard and new boyfriend.

Ayame chuckles and says, "He sounds like a really sweet and cool guy."

Kaname giggles and replies, "He is, in his own unique way. I better get ready. See you later, shorty." Laughing, Kaname ends the call and asks, "Need any help, Sousuke?"

Sousuke replies, "Negative, I've got it under control. Weapons inventory is complete. Just gotta slide a dagger into my sleeve here, my Glock into the back of my pants and we'll be good to go."

"Sousuke, what about Customs?"

"Mithril has it covered, Kaname. It is not a problem." Kaname can only smile at that as the plane starts it's landing. No matter how many times she hears him say it, it makes her feel reassured about what's going to happen.

Forty-five minutes later, the plane reaches the Airport's airspace and starts it's landing. Kaname takes Sousuke's hand into hers and caresses it softly, just like after Sousuke apologized to her on the sub. Sousuke looks over at her and gives her a crinkly smile, indicating he's nervous about meeting her family. Kaname gives him a quick peck to assure him that nothing will change how she feels about him.

Once the plane touches down, an airport shuttle rolls up to greet the plane. A local Mithril Operative is behind the wheel and he proceeds to drive the two teens to the terminal once they had reached the shuttle. He then accompanies them into the terminal and contacts the asset for Mithril within the Customs office. Once Sousuke shows the asset his Identification of Branch Division, they are shown through to the walkway.

As they walk along, they hear a young girl call out, "Kaname! Over here!"

Kaname grins, looks over at Sousuke and gets a nod in reply from him. Kaname kisses him and runs ahead while Sousuke keeps carrying his bags on his shoulders and pulling Kaname's roller bag with only minor difficulty.

He then sees the scene ahead of him. When he hears her say, "Hello, Ayame. Good to see you again, shorty", he can only smile and shake his head. He reaches the gathering and sees an imposing gentleman, guessing that this is Kaname's Father, Shunya.

Shunya says, "Welcome home, pumpkin. And this must be Sousuke Sagara."

Before Sousuke can reply, he hears a woman scream from behind him. He turns back and sees a young hoodlum running his way with a handbag in his hand. Snarling, he brings his dagger out of his sleeve and throws it at the punk, embedding it into his leg. The punk then falls down screaming in pain.

Sousuke then walks toward the punk, saying, "Retrieval in fifteen seconds." Upon reaching the punk, he grabs up the woman's handbag and hands it to her when she had caught up to the scene.

He then removes his dagger from the punk's leg and cleans the blade. He looks down on the punk and says, "Get a job, punk." He walks away as Airport Security comes running up after he secures his dagger.

As Sousuke makes his way back to the Chidoris, he sees that Shunya's mouth is wide open while Ayame's eyes are wide open. As he gets closer, he can see that Kaname is smiling proudly at him.

Ayame recovers from the shock enough to say, "That was so cool, Sousuke. How did you learn to do that?"

Sousuke looks at Kaname and replies, "The school of survival, Ayame Chidori. The school of survival." Kaname nods her approval and gives Sousuke a soft kiss on his cheek.

"Later, it'll be deeper. That'll have to hold you for now, Sousuke."

"Affirmative."

Shunya recovers the use of his mouth and, as calmly as possible, says, "We should discuss your skills when we get to the car, Sousuke."

Sousuke nods and replies, "I was figuring you'd be curious as to my skills. I'm sure that Kaname told you something about me."

"Well, it's not quite the way I pictured it, but it'll have to do. At least you didn't use a fragmentation grenade in here, Sousuke." Kaname grins proudly at Sousuke after having said that, knowing a frag grenade would create massive amounts of damage and chaos.

"A fragmentation grenade?" At that, Shunya faints dead away.

Kaname sighs and says, "Looks like we'll have to give him the full briefing after all, Sousuke."

"Affirmative."

With that, Sousuke secures a People Mover, loads Shunya and the luggage on there. He then has the driver follow Ayame out to the loading zone. Once there, he has Kaname get in along with Ayame while he loads the luggage. When he gets done, he and the driver for the people mover hoist Shunya into the car.

He then gets in and says, "Drive. Chidori house." The limo driver nods and pulls away from the curb.


	4. Chidori House and Briefings

Journey to Insanity and Romance p 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Full Metal Panic! Wish I did though.

Chidori House and Briefing

The drive to the Chidori's house is quiet for the most part, considering that Shunya's still out like a light. When they get near the house, Shunya finally stirs.

He looks around confusedly and asks, "How'd I get in here? Was I dreaming? Did I really see a boy throw a knife into a mugger's leg? And was there even discussion of using a fragmentation grenade inside the Terminal?"

Kaname replies, "In that order, Sousuke loaded you into the car after our luggage, you weren't dreaming and Sousuke did throw a dagger into a mugger's leg. Along with talk of a fragmentation grenade. We'll give you the full details about Sousuke when we get inside."

Shunya sarcastically says, "I can hardly wait, Kaname. Just one thing. How did he learn to do all that he does?"

Sousuke clears his throat and replies, "Like I said earlier, Mr. Chidori, the school of survival." He looks over at Kaname and gets a nod from her.

He then adds, "I can tell you this much, sir. I am highly skilled in all aspects of warfare. From hand-to-hand combat all the way to piloting Arm Slaves. I am quite proficient with the RK-92 Savage and the JSDF Type 96. Along with the M6, M9 and the ARX-7."

Shunya grins and says, "Now I know you're lying. The M9 is not scheduled to be deployed until next year and the 'ARX-7' does not even exist."

Kaname then says, "Oh, yes it does, Father. I even saw it several times, with Sousuke in the pilot's seat and I even helped him with it. It's also known as Arbalest and the A.I.'s call sign is 'Al'. In any case, it looks like we're here, Sergeant Sousuke Sagara." Sousuke grins at Kaname's use of his rank toward Shunya and nods his assent to her testimony of him.

Shunya sighs exasperatedly and says, "I get the feeling I'll be needing a very stiff drink when I'm briefed on the details. Sousuke, you'll be sleeping in the guest room. Kaname, I already got your room set up. Just out of curiosity, Sousuke. Do you have any other weapons on you?"

"Affirmative, sir. A bodyguard is always armed, sir."

"BODYGUARD?" He turns to Kaname and says, "Please tell me he's joking, Kaname. Either that or his sense of humor needs work."

Kaname smiles warmly and replies, "He's quite serious, Father. He may be a teen still, but he's all business and really quite serious."

She then grins and says, "He could certainly do with a sense of humor, especially since the things he says at times are outlandish. Of course, that was when I first met him." She smiles dreamily and blows a kiss at Sousuke, causing him to blush and her to laugh at his reaction.

Sighing, she adds, "He's like a fish out of water, having seen so much war and fighting the good fight wherever he goes. But, I don't mind it. Because he makes me feel safe when he's nearby or on duty. As long as he's fighting the good fight, it means the world still has a chance. I can only hope that we have a proper chance for happiness. Sousuke in particular. He certainly deserves some, with his life having taken the turn it has in the past."

When the house comes into view, Sousuke and Kaname see a house that is pretty big, even for American standards. With vinyl siding and a brick chimney. In seconds, Sousuke sees spots of the house that can be considered to be weak points, yet easily corrected with the right kind of 'hardware'. Kaname sees Sousuke's appraisal of the house and sighs, clearly frustrated.

"Sousuke, don't be thinking what I think you're thinking. Please, don't think about how to increase the house's defensive capabilities." After a minute of silence from Sousuke, she slumps her head forward and softly says, "You are."

"Affirmative, Kaname. With Phalanx Gatling guns on the window sills on the upper levels, the house can withstand any attack. Along with a battery of Javelin missiles on the roof." Kaname can only shake her head and giggle as she thinks about Sousuke as a Home Security expert.

"Sousuke, when we get back to Japan, let's see Masatami Hyuga. I'm sure you can find ways to improve his Home Security." Her memory of hearing about Sousuke scaling the cliff bolsters her opinion that Sousuke would make an excellent Home Security expert. She even remembers the look of shock on Masatami's face when he had heard about Sousuke scaling the cliff, where the Security was weakest.

She then looks over at Shunya and sees his jaw dropped down to the floor of the limo. She could even swear that his hair had just gotten a little grayer in the last five minutes upon awakening. When she looks at Ayame, she can see that Ayame's hair is still reddish-blond and that Ayame is trying to stifle her giggles.

At that, the car stops and the group exits the car. Sousuke and Kaname get their luggage out while Ayame unlocks the door. When the door's unlocked, Shunya bursts into the house and goes right to the liquor cabinet. Finding a bottle of Scotch, he removes the top and starts drinking right from the bottle.

The others see this and Kaname says, "Daddy, it's not that bad. I don't mind having Sousuke as my protector. And we just realized our feelings for each other."

Shunya, remembering what had been said, asks, "Why do you need a bodyguard, Kaname? Are you in trouble with a gang at school or the Yakuza?" That other portion has him shuddering as he ponders the happenings in Japan of late.

Kaname shakes her head no and says, "It'll be best if we all sit down. First, I'll allow Sousuke to fully introduce himself."

Sousuke nods and says, "I am Sergeant Sousuke Sagara. I am with an organization dedicated to stopping conflicts and protecting special people with exceptional talents. My call sign is Urzu 7, ID number is B-3128. The organization's name is Mithril. Here's my Identification of Branch Division and patch to verify." He brings his IBD and patch out of his fatigue pocket and hands both items to Shunya.

Shunya examines both of them and chuckles weakly as Sousuke goes on.

"I was assigned to infiltrate Kaname's school in order to protect her. It was supposed to be without her knowledge or the Japanese Government's. During the school trip, our flight was hijacked by a terrorist known as Gauron. This guy was the worst scum on the planet. He had the co-pilot land the plane at Khanka, in the old Soviet Blok. Kaname, you're up."

Kaname nods gratefully and says, "After the plane landed, I was taken out to a mobile laboratory. Before I was removed from the plane, our teacher, Miss Kagurazaka, got up into Gauron's face and chewed him out. Gauron pulled out a gun and got ready to shoot her. Sousuke saved her life by dropping his tray onto the floor. Once I got to the lab that was set up, this mad scientist wannabe was in there and she started doing experiments on me. After an hour or so, I told her I didn't want to do any more sleep-learning. She then told me that I know things from before I was even born."

Her face gets even more serious as she says, "As I was trying to make a break for it, that crazy quack pulled out a gun and shot at me. Two goons came inside and one held me down against the table while that lunatic woman brought up a needle with some kind of chemical to make me submissive. I then felt the pressure on my back ease and I saw Sousuke come up behind me. He interrogated her and we found out what the purpose of the lab was."

Kaname then frowns as she says, "I'm 'Whispered', Father. My mind contains secrets to Black Technology. Sousuke got me out of there and to safety. He had me get into another truck and drove like heck away from there. He briefed me as to his true purpose, but I didn't believe him. When he crashed us into a hangar door, I was convinced we were going to die. At least until I saw him open the cockpit of an RK-92 Savage. He powered it up and trounced the soldier's equipment. At that moment, I knew that he would change my life, forever. Of course, it had already been changed since I first met him. In any case, he had me get into the Savage's hand and he then proceeded to carry me to safety. I was worried about the others, but he then told me that Mithril's sending a Rescue Squad."

Shunya nods and says, "I remember that report about the incident. But, I thought it was the U.N.'s Rescue Unit that did the rescue. And you were found in the Hospital two days later, where you claimed you don't remember anything past them giving you an injection."

He then looks at Sousuke and adds, "I suppose that's where you come into the picture again."

Sousuke nods and replies, "Affirmative, sir. I'm Kaname's Life Insurance Agent and Policy."

Kaname suddenly bursts out into laughter as she pictures Sousuke dressed as a Life Insurance Agent. Along with a card that says 'Sagara Life Insurance. We protect your life and your body. Your mind is your end because it's already been lost'.

She's rolling on the floor in peals of laughter until she calms down. She's still chuckling lightly as she gets up from the floor and passionately kisses her beau. At Sousuke's blush, she knows that he's still an innocent in some ways and realizes that she can still mold him.

She then sees her Father, an eyebrow arched in concern, and says, "My apologies, Father. I was just picturing Sousuke as a Life Insurance Agent. With a gun, no less. If not several."

Shunya merely grins and chuckles at the mental picture. He then sighs and scratches his head before looking back at his daughter and her boyfriend.

"Okay, let me see if I'm following you around the room here. You have technical knowledge that exceeds regular people's. Your new boyfriend is a highly skilled soldier with an organization dedicated to keeping the peace. He's also your bodyguard and a fellow classmate. Am I on track so far?" Kaname nods and Shunya sighs.

He then mutters, "My daughter's in love with a warrior that's old enough to start shaving. I can only hope that Ayame is spared the same fate."

Ayame hears this and says, "I think it'd be kind of cool. Smarter than everyone else, have a cute and rugged boyfriend and be a potential life-mate for that guy." Shunya automatically takes another drink while Kaname smiles sadly at Ayame.

"Ayame, being 'Whispered' is no picnic, at all. You'd constantly be in danger, both of disappearing and dying after they're done with you. The only reason I'm still alive and away from those that seek that knowledge is Sousuke. Without him and Mithril, people like me would always be at risk of exploitation of our minds." She then shudders and looks at Sousuke with a question in her eyes.

Sousuke nods and brings out his communicator. "This is Urzu 7. In country. Get me SRT Lead or the Captain, please. High priority situation."

"This is the Captain. Go ahead Urzu 7."

"Madam Captain, what are the chances of siblings being the same way as those we protect?"

"There are cases in which siblings are the same way. Am I to understand you may have come across another?"

"Affirmative, ma'am."

"Are you secure, Sergeant? Are you in private with the party in question?"

"As secure as possible, Madam Captain."

"Understood. Myself, SRT Lead, Urzus 2 and 6 will arrive tomorrow at 1100 hours."

"Urzu 7, roger." Sousuke ends communication and sees Kaname sitting with Shunya and Ayame, all of them looking worried.

Deciding to be as calm as he can, he asks, "Uh, just how bad can it be? If Gauron's alive, along with Venom, it'd be very bad."

Curious, Shunya asks, "What do you mean by if, Sousuke?"

Kaname replies, "Sousuke once told me that Gauron's harder to kill than a ninja cockroach. I have yet to see a cockroach like that, but I get his meaning. We both sent Gauron and Venom off of the TDD-1 using the sub's catapult system. Gauron activated his mecha's self-destruct and was intending to destroy the sub. Sousuke latched him onto the catapult. When it launched, Gauron went flying right into the water and Venom exploded under the waves. If he survived the explosion, that description just might prove apt in his case."

Shunya takes another swig, swallows and asks, "The sub has a catapult system? The technology, let alone the vessel, must be impressive. I would like to see it sometime."

Kaname chuckles and says, "That is an understatement, Father. The biggest one yet. I even saw the TDD-1 while underwater." She calms herself down enough to tell him all about it.

When she gets done, he looks at Sousuke, takes another drink, swallows and asks, "You actually linked her up with your harness and jumped out of an airplane with her? Why couldn't the plane have landed? Are you out of your mind, Sousuke?"

"In that order, yes, I did, the plane couldn't land because it was flying too fast and I am quite sane, sir."

Kaname giggles, thinking, 'It's all a matter of perspective.'

Shunya then chuckles and says, "That remains to be seen. Let me see your weapons, Sousuke. I pray you have no grenades or land mines with you."

"Actually, I have those as well, Mr. Chidori. Kaname has a pair of grenades as well. They are disguised as earrings."

"You gave my daughter grenades the size of earrings? Can this night get any nuttier?"

Kaname smiles and says, "It's only just begun, Daddy. Sousuke, tell him what kind of hardware we have here today, if you please."

"M-16A2 rifle with 40mm M-203 grenade launcher, five 30 round magazines with 5.56mm, seven 40mm grenades, Steyr SPP, five 30 round magazines of 9mm parabellum, Glock 17, seven 17 round 9mm parabellum magazines, Franchi SPAS 15 Assault 12 gauge Shotgun, one hundred 12 gauge shells, 10 concussion grenades, 10 fragmentation grenades, 10 Claymore mines, 5 blocks of C-4, 15 blasting caps with detonation cord spool, one trigger-switch for the mines and C-4, one bottle of nitroglycerin and five sticks of TNT. Everyday items, at least for me. All magazines are fully loaded, so it's not a problem."

He looks over at Kaname and adds, "The smallest Howitzer would still be too big for me to carry in my bag. Perhaps it's time a much smaller Howitzer was made."

Kaname smiles and says, "If anyone that knows weaponry can design it, you certainly can, Sousuke. Why don't you give it a try?"

Sousuke grins savagely and says, "I love a challenge."

Shunya can only hold his head in his hands as he says, "I can't believe I'm hearing talk of explosives along with a portable Howitzer. Chances are, the Howitzer would have to be a rifle with a powerful kick."

Sousuke remembers something he was designing and brings out his communicator again. "Urzu 7 again. Please connect me to the Captain. Medium priority."

"Sorry, Urzu 7. Captain and the others have already departed. The Commander is in charge until the Captain returns. TDD-1 out."

"Urzu 7, roger." He closes the communicator and says, "They're already on their way. In my quarters on the sub, I have a rough design sketch for a new rifle I've been pondering making."

Kaname grins and says, "You've been working on a new type of Howitzer, haven't you, Sousuke?"

Sousuke returns the grin and replies, "Affirmative. I've been thinking about it. Using 25mm rounds with explosive tips, it could be considered to be a small scale Howitzer."

Kaname rubs her hands gleefully as she adds, "It would be so impressive, Sousuke. But, wouldn't something like that be heavy, even for someone in good shape?"

Sousuke nods and replies, "It would require two people to carry it, be mounted on a tripod to help with the weight and also destroy anything one of the rounds would hit."

He then sighs and adds, "Right now, the smallest version is mounted on a Bradley Fighting Vehicle. I examined the chain gun version of it and had some ideas. Semi-auto firing, vents along the barrel to disperse the toxic fumes and a muzzle brake to aid in reducing the recoil."

Kaname nods, whistles and says, "I guess you were working on it on the TDD-1 in between missions, weren't you?"

Sousuke replies, smiling, "Affirmative." He then looks over at Ayame and Shunya, elects to tell them some of their adventures together and asks Kaname with his eyes.

Kaname sighs and replies, "Better stick with the better ones, Sousuke. Those memories are worth having." She then slams her fist into her palm and says, "Let's tell them about the time we went to the hot springs with Melissa and Tessa. I'm surprised you guys didn't even peek."

"Uh."

"Sousuke, was there something screwy going on at the hot springs during our trip?"

Sousuke nods and tells them all about what had happened. When he gets done, Shunya gets up from his chair, gets another bottle of Scotch and two glasses. He then returns to the chair and pours the Scotch into the glasses.

"Let me see if I got this straight. Three perverted males, a lone, serious-about-his-duty soldier, five young ladies, one of them being your superior Officer. Add in a female Soldier, your superior NCO no less, sentry guns, military-grade armor plating inside a wall. Include land mines along the pathway with you right in the hot spring when the Kazama boy arrived, Sousuke. Did anything untoward happen?"

"Merely a very awkward situation, Mr. Chidori. Very awkward."

"I see. Say no more. Here, have a drink, Sousuke." Sousuke accepts the drink and swallows it down. Once he's done, he goes unconscious. "Let me guess. He's not much of a drinker."

"Judging from his reaction, probably not. But, at least I know not to buy him booze for when he gets older. Otherwise his capability will sorely diminish." Kaname giggles as she hoists Sousuke onto her shoulder, with Shunya taking the other side. At that, they both take Sousuke to the guest bedroom.

As they lug him into the bed, Kaname chuckles as she recalls the first time Sousuke did something really nutty. Nutty to her, that is. "Father, he once jumped out a window on a train moving at high speed. I'm amazed he didn't get hurt or killed when he did that stunt."

"He jumped? Why didn't he walk out the door like you normally do?"

"He said it was coincidence that he was there and I thought he was a pervert. Always looking at me like he was watching me for some twisted reason. I got off the train as the doors were closing. Next thing I know, he opened a window and leaped right out, knocking down benches as he tumbled along the pathway. I never saw a braver or more deranged sight in my life."

"Did he explain it?"

Kaname nods and replies, "He said that he just felt the need to get off the train. Then when we sat together, we had a nice conversation. I learned that he didn't even have a girlfriend."

"Are you kidding me? A nice-looking, rugged young man like that without a girlfriend? Any girl that wouldn't appreciate a soldier to be in their life doesn't know what they are missing."

Kaname sighs and replies, "He told me that a friend of his said that no girl would ever consider him to be relationship material. Not even on the frozen tundra. At first, I agreed with his friend. After all, when I first met him, he was a bit of an odd bird. You might even say extremely odd. But, now that I know, I understand that he only concentrates on his duty as much as possible. After all, he's the best soldier I ever met."

Shunya nods softly as he leaves Kaname and Sousuke be in the guest bedroom. As he walks out, he says, "Kaname, I hope you're not planning anything naughty with him. After all, like you said, you just realized your feelings for each other." Kaname assures him that she'll let Sousuke sleep in his clothes. At that, Shunya leaves the two alone.


	5. Landing Party and Designs

Journey to Insanity and Romance p 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Full Metal Panic! Wish I did though.

Author's Note: This is the first chapter with a slight adult situation. Nothing too explicit. Just groping and stroking. Nothing else.

Landing Party and Designs

The next morning, with a splitting headache, Sousuke wakes up to see Kaname looking down upon him with a soft smile on her face. Sousuke smiles back and starts to get up before he grimaces from the pain in his head and realizes something very crucial.

"Uh, Kaname, I'm not wearing anything right now. Can you tell me what happened?"

Kaname smiles even wider and replies, "Let's see. We told my Dad about one of our adventures together. You drank some Scotch which had gotten to you and you fell asleep. Daddy and I carried you in here and I undressed you after Daddy left us alone. The kicker is I told him I'd let you sleep in your clothes. Don't worry though. I didn't do anything indecent with you, yet. I'm willing to take it slow, Sousuke."

She then blushes and adds, "You've got some nice equipment, though. I couldn't help but stroke it along with your chest."

"Uh."

"Oh, don't worry, Sousuke. If anything, I really liked what I saw. Gives me something to look forward to. Unless, you wanna try doing a 'quickie' before you get dressed."

Still reeling from his headache, adding to his befuddlement, Sousuke asks, "What would a 'quickie' entail, Kaname? I have no experience in such matters. Growing up in Afghanistan, I was not allowed to ponder human relations, particularly with females within the culture."

Kaname softly smiles and replies, "I'm not experienced in that myself, Sousuke. Though, we can try it nice and slow. Remember when I slugged you after you pulled me out of that truck's path?"

"Affirmative. I also remember you called me a pervert. Why that is, I have no idea, Kaname."

Kaname blushes and says, "It's because you had a hand on one of my breasts, Sousuke. It could have been just an accident on your part at the time. But, I thought poorly of you. So, let's start there." She then unbuttons her blouse and pulls it off, revealing her bra. Closing the blinds, she undoes it, revealing her breasts to him.

Smiling at his dropped jaw expression, she gently takes one of his hands and presses the palm into her left breast, putting the fingertip of his index finger right onto her nipple. Taking her other hand, she reaches below the sheet and starts stroking his member as he caresses her breast.

Liking the feeling of his hand on her chest, her smile goes warm and maternal. Still smiling, she looks at Sousuke's face and sees his face with a look of which she had never seen before on him. His eyes closed and his face sweaty, he looks like he's enjoying it.

Kaname grins as she realizes that he truly is still innocent in some respects, making it an ideal project for her to work on him somewhat. She stops stroking him and gently removes his hand from her breast. She then puts her bra back on and gets onto the bed beside him, kissing him on his cheek. Her long blue hair cascades around her as she lies down beside him.

As she looks at his face, she begins to wonder about what'll happen if they happen to have children together. She then shakes her head, knowing it's not a matter of if, but when. She grins as she realizes that she wants Sousuke to be a Father. She then silently vows that their child will have a happier life, one that Sousuke was so cruelly denied as a child.

As Sousuke opens his eyes, Kaname smiles and says, "That wasn't so bad, Sousuke. I can hardly wait for tonight."

Sousuke is about to utter another 'uh' but stops when he sees Kaname scowling. He then clears his throat and asks, "What do we do tonight, Kaname?"

Her scowl going to a sultry smile, she replies, "What we were doing just now, Sousuke. Only I'll add something new to it. You'll have to wait and see what it is, though. Now, get dressed. Daddy wants to see just how good you are with your weaponry, minus the explosives."

She then kisses him again and says, "I'll go ahead and let you get dressed. But first, I think you've earned one more squeeze on my breast. Go ahead, you've earned it, Sousuke."

Sousuke nods and reaches his hand over to her chest. When it gets to it's destination, Kaname smiles and blushes as she blows a kiss at Sousuke. He then retracts his hand and blows her a kiss right back, blushing as he does so.

Kaname giggles as she gets back up, puts her blouse back on and buttons it back up. She then gives him one more kiss on his lips before she leaves the bedroom.

Sousuke then gets up out of the bed and finds his fatigues folded in a chair. He's about to put them on when he remembers that he was on stand-down at the time.

He then goes to his duffel bag and finds the clothing that would please Kaname and her family. He puts on a blue t-shirt and light blue jeans and nods in satisfaction as he gets dressed. Once he's finished dressing, he goes to the living room and hears Kaname yelling at Ayame.

"Those are Sousuke's weapons! He's got them unloaded because he's not on duty right now!"

"I just wanna hold them and see how heavy they are! That's not so bad, is it?"

"Only if you don't get permission, Ayame." That, of course, came from Sousuke. He then grins as he says, "If we go to the range, I'll be able to show you safety in handling firearms. As long as your Father has no objections."

Shunya walks in after hearing it and says, "I'd have no objections as long as you are qualified to give instruction. And I don't mean through Mithril either, Sousuke. I know the owner of the range. I served against him in the war. Yet, somehow, we became friends."

Sousuke nods in agreement with Shunya's acceptance, along with his assessment. He then asks, "Have you had formal weapons training through the U.N., Mr. Chidori?" Sousuke's concern for Kaname's family is evident, as Kaname grips Sousuke's arm and nods for Shunya to reply.

"No, young fellow, I haven't. Nor, have I seen the need to do so. After all, the U.N. has more suitable bodyguards than a mere teenager. Let alone one raised in a war zone. I fail to digest that you are able to protect Kaname! You can't even hold your liquor, young man!"

"Father! Sousuke's more than capable of protecting me. He has done so without fail. He's faced those that the U.N. does not wish to do so. He is one of the only reasons that this world has not destroyed itself."

"He's capable of doing that himself. I've heard reports of your 'bodyguard' going to extremes from the officials at your school. From detonating explosives on shoe lockers to his supposed capacity for piloting Arm Slaves. And that report is from the both of you. Need I mention the 'Full Monty Bacteria'? I'm amazed it didn't result in Kaname getting hurt due to your negligence. If you are indeed 'Whispered', Kaname, then why haven't you told the world in order to share that knowledge?"

Kaname's about to explain when Sousuke cuts in. "I've faced more evil than the so-called bodyguards employed by the U.N., Mr. Chidori. I've been a warrior ever since I was eight years old. I've killed men that were so evil, they would make Hitler pale in comparison. The detonations of the shoe lockers was due to my eagerness to keep your daughter safe from harm at all times. The 'Full Monty Bacteria' happened because a classmate of ours had mistaken the contents for water and drank them. As I was leaving the classroom with your daughter, I said for no one to open the bottle."

Kaname nods and says, "That's right. I heard him say that because it looked dangerous to him. A friend of his, who happens to be an arms dealer, sent him the wrong package instead of a special part for one of his guns."

"He has an arms dealer for a friend?" Shunya is incredulous as Sousuke goes on with his explanation.

"As a bodyguard to a 'Whispered', I'm a target as well, Mr. Chidori. Therefore, I cannot take any chances regarding the safety of your daughter, myself and other people. My skills in piloting the A.S. are real, as are my scars."

He then lifts up the left edge of his shirt and explains. "This scar was where a piece of RK-92 scrap pierced me in Khanka. Gauron used Anti-A.S. grenades to tear it apart. Kaname helped me to survive and she even helped find a way for us all to go home together. I was ready to sacrifice my life along with my colleague's life just so she can escape. She wouldn't have it. I guess she saw more in me than I did myself. As for her telling the world about her abilities, not a good idea at the moment. After all, there are still too many groups out there that would like to get their hands on this information. And they will stop at nothing to get it. Gauron was one such person. I'm here, with her, to prevent that from happening."

He gives Shunya a piercing glare and asks, "How many bodyguards do you know of can do the things I'm able to do? As far as I can tell, none of the services you use has anyone that is my equal in skill or determination."

Even more determined to exercise his authority, Shunya grins and says, "I propose a competition then. You, versus the best bodyguard money can hire."

His eyes then take on a devilish glint as he says, "I've got the right person in mind. Here are the terms first. You win, I'll allow you to revamp the U.N.'s protection detail. He wins, you turn over protection of Kaname to the one I select. What's even more, I'm barring you and Mithril from having contact with Kaname. If it even exists. You will never see her again, no matter what."

Kaname grins and says, "Sousuke will wipe the floor with him. Besides, I think he's been wanting to do some kind of competition using his skills. I just hope the other guy's insurance is paid up."

Ayame asks, "Why do you say that, Kaname?"

"There likely won't be anything left of the other guy when it's done." She looks over at Sousuke and sees a rare sight, even for him. The fires of fury and rage are evident in his eyes.

She goes to his side and asks, "You all right, Sousuke?"

Sousuke nods and replies, "Affirmative. I'm just a bit concerned given the stakes. After all, we just learned our feelings for one another." He then winks and adds, "It will not be a problem."

Turning to Shunya, he replies, "I agree to the terms. But with one proviso. I be allowed to submit my recommendations for half of the events."

Intrigued, Shunya asks, "This wouldn't happen to include A.S. piloting, would it?"

Sousuke replies, "Affirmative."

"Very well, then. I'd like to see this 'ARX-7' that you supposedly pilot with such skill. The man I have in mind has piloted the M6 Arm Slave in the U.S. Military. Undoubtedly, he will clean your clock."

Seemingly perplexed, Sousuke says, "I do not have a clock with me. Perhaps we can use one of yours, seeing as you have so many." He had said the remark in such deadpan, no one knows if he's joking or not. But then Kaname has a suspicion and rolls with it.

"You see, Father, you need to watch what you say around Sousuke. He's so serious, it's hard to tell if he's joking or not." Looking at Sousuke's face, she starts seeing the faintest of smiles start. It then becomes a full blown smile and he starts laughing pleasantly.

Kaname starts laughing as well as she says, "Your first actual joke, Sousuke. Do you need to lie down? I hear it hurts the first time." She then mentally adds, 'Just like a girl's first sex.' Both laughing teens are oblivious to Shunya's hard glare and Ayame's giggles.

Suddenly, Sousuke's communicator goes off and he replies, still chuckling, "Sagara."

"Sousuke, what is wrong with you? Are you under attack?"

"Negative, Sergeant Major. Just getting something out of my system." Calming down now, Sousuke asks, "How far out are you?"

Kalinin replies, "We're over Central Park right now, Sergeant. An operative in the area will pick us up and transport us to the Chidori residence. Have any new developments come up?"

"Affirmative, sir." He then briefs Kalinin and the others of the situation.

Kurz comes on the line and says, "Buddy, you've got your work cut out for you then. But, it shouldn't be a problem for a wild man such as yourself. Ask sis here. She's been clawing up the walls of the helicopter just waiting to get to you." Kurz then screams in pain as Melissa decks him in the stomach.

Melissa comes on and asks, "Is Mr. Chidori around, Sousuke? I've got something to tell him." Sousuke replies in the affirmative and hands the communicator to Shunya.

As Shunya listens, his face pales as he hears what Melissa says to him. When his jaw drops, Kaname gasps and grins behind her hand, hiding the grin right after the gasp. Trembling, Shunya hands the communicator to Kaname.

Kaname then hears, "Don't worry about your old man, Kaname. The guy he gets will probably be a portly guy with no real experience."

"I copy. Thank you, Urzu 2."

"Over and out, Angel."

Kaname ends communication and gently hands Sousuke the communicator back, grazing his fingers with her own. She then smiles and kisses his scarred cheek, saying, "For luck, Sousuke."

Sousuke nods and says, "Thank you, Kaname." Feeling his determination return, Sousuke asks, "When shall we do this? Perhaps this afternoon, unless you have to give him so much notice."

Shunya replies, "This afternoon will be just fine, 'Sergeant'. Just be ready to cry when you lose."

At that, both men start writing notations on different pieces of paper. When they are done, they have three events selected and find they need one more.

Fifteen minutes later, the doorbell rings. Ayame goes to answer it. A minute later, she says, "Daddy, we've got company!" She brings in the newcomers, causing Kaname and Sousuke to grin.

With Ayame is a petite young woman with silver hair in a ponytail, a gentleman with a ponytail and white hair, a very buxom young woman with short-cut raven-colored hair and a young man with long blond hair. All very fit and trim.

Sousuke then turns and says, "Mr. and Miss Chidori, I present to you Captain Teletha 'Tessa' Testarossa, Lieutenant Commander Andrei Kalinin with the Special Response Team, Sergeant Major Melissa Mao and Sergeant Kurz Weber. They are my colleagues from Mithril."

Tessa steps forward and says, "It's somewhat nice to meet you, Mr. Chidori. The Sgt. Major saw fit to tell me what you had said about Sgt. Sagara. I have served with him for some time now, and I have never seen or heard such disrespect about one of our best men. Kaname can personally attest to his prowess on and off the battlefield."

Shunya holds up his hands in surrender and says, "No disrespect intended, Captain. That is, if you really are a Captain." He then looks over at Kalinin and says, "So, you're the infamous Kalinin that Sousuke's been talking about. I don't think he is a Sergeant."

Kalinin nods and replies, "He is indeed a Sergeant, Mr. Chidori. He's also one of my best men. I have never heard such callous disregard for his skills either. I cannot even digest that you would have the audacity to disrespect or insult my Captain."

Shunya swallows in fear as Kalinin continues. "If you weren't insignificant to me or so important to the U.N., I'd have a side duel with you. My Spetsnaz training versus your hot-aired ego. Hand-to-hand combat. Father versus Father figure."

Kaname grins as she brings her hands together and says, "Since Father served in the Military, he's bound to know a thing or two."

Shunya gasps as he asks, "Are you trying to get me killed, Kaname? He's Spetsnaz, the elite of the Russian Military."

Kaname waves her hand softly and says, "I'm sure he'll go a little easy on you. He's getting a little odd in years, but he's still in good shape." Kalinin is unsure whether to take it as a compliment or as an insult. He chooses the former, given his past with Sousuke and Kaname.

Shunya bows his head and asks, "Would it help if I apologized for all I said regarding you and your associates, Lt. Commander?"

"It would go quite a way, Mr. Chidori. However, in the interest of fairness, I propose a shooting match alongside our younger counterparts. I win, you allow Sousuke to see Kaname, no matter what. As you can see, they've just realized their feelings for one another. I, for one, am quite proud of my subordinate. He's come a long way, given his life so far."

"Very well. If I win, and Sousuke wins the competition, he is to ask me for my blessing should he desire to marry Kaname."

"Uh." That came from both Sousuke and Kaname.

Now curious, Shunya then asks, "Just how did you two realize your feelings for each other anyway?" When they tell him, he goes off.

"You used a round of 'Russian Roulette' while she picked petals off of a flower! My eldest daughter, in love with a lunatic soldier."

He then shudders as he says, "I can just imagine my grandchildren. Hopeful romantics with a love for guns and war!"

Blushing at the thought, Kaname says, "It'd be the best of both worlds. Sousuke's protective spirit and my caring personality. It'd be a great combination."

"Uh."

That came from everyone else, except Sousuke, who's scratching his chin in thought, smiling warmly at the idea. Or at least as much as he can.

Kurz snaps out of it in time to grin and say, "Sousuke, you left something on the sub." He then reaches into his pocket and brings out a piece of paper.

"Given your talents for destruction, I never thought you'd have a creative streak in you. A creation for destruction. Truly the best of both worlds." He hands it to Sousuke, with a grin on his face.

Sousuke opens the paper, nods and grins. Kaname sees this and moves closer. On the paper is the biggest rifle she had ever seen.

"What, no name, Sousuke?"

Sousuke nods and replies, "Howitzer, the next generation."

He turns to Kaname and adds, "You're my inspiration, Kaname. Destructive power, yet a gentle breeze. Powerful, yet in a nice package."

Kaname blushes rosily and says, "That's probably the sweetest thing I've ever heard from you, Sousuke."

Sousuke ponders another and says, "Having emotions like love can be unpredictable, very much like firing a .50 caliber Barrett sniper rifle. If you're not braced properly, the recoil will leave you reeling. During the situation in Khanka, I was unsure of my emotions. When I heard the shots, I rushed in. At first, I thought it was in performance of my duty. Looking back now, it's safe to say you've unlocked a portion of me I've been trying to fight back. The capacity for caring, emotion, hope and love."

Stunned, Kaname blushes even deeper and recovers enough to say, "Now that is sweet and profound, Sousuke. I never imagined my dream guy would do an analogy pairing romance with weaponry."

Shunya clears his throat and says, under his breath, "It's not sweet or profound. It's absurdly ludicrous. Pairing romance with weaponry? Now that is just plain nuts." Kurz is about to charge Shunya when Kaname holds out her arm to stay his attack.

She then bends down to her Father's face and says, "I think, under the circumstances and given Sousuke's life so far, that it is sweet he does and says things his way. After all, he is a soldier. Not just any soldier, but a Specialist. The best of the best. At times, I even spot parallels within the things he says. If our roles were reversed, I probably would have said the same things. But his words were well chosen and flattering. That's why I'm nuts about him. He may be a moody military maniac, but, in his own way, he's also the sweetest guy I ever met. None of the other guys I met can ever hold a candle to him. Why? Because he'd blow them away in a heartbeat and he is sweet in his own way. Without bragging too much about himself, like those other guys did in the past."

She then gets up from her Father's position and goes to Sousuke's side, taking him into her arms and embracing him, remembering the 'Flirting Contest' he participated in.

She then kisses him and puts her head into his chest, a soft and content smile on her face. She's pleasantly surprised when Sousuke wraps his arms around her as well.

Remembering that he had held her that way during the balloon flight away from the villa, she blushes. She then grins about the memoryin which he faced off against the bodyguards to Masatami Hyuga.

Taking a chance for shock value, Kaname grins. "I packed the bikini you didn't notice last time. Feel up to a trip to the pool afterward?"

Without stammering, Sousuke replies, "Affirmative. As long as we can split a watermelon with a shotgun round." Kaname laughs as she recalls what had happened that day. She then looks up at Sousuke and gives him a massive kiss in front of the others.

They come out of it and decide to tell Shunya and Ayame about the villa. But first, they start with the encounter with A21 and Behemoth, the extremely massive A.S.

Shunya's jaw drops as he recalls the incident. "You were actually responsible for stopping that monstrosity? What happened to the pilot?"

Sousuke replies, "He bled to death from a wound he had suffered when I sent a round from Arbalest's gun into the mecha's groin. Evidently, he had caught some flak as the round went through the entire machine. He had also sustained a wound from a fellow terrorist's gun as he was running for the machine."

"I see." Shunya grimaces in pain as Sousuke then tells them about the first time he split a watermelon with a shotgun round. He even remembers to include Kaname getting sprayed with watermelon juice. That gets a soft giggle out of Kaname.

Ayame grins at the picture of Kaname getting sprayed with watermelon juice after it had exploded.

Curious, Shunya says, "I thought splitting a watermelon entailed using a bat."

"Not in Sousuke's case. Apparently, he didn't feel the bat would be sufficient. So, he went with the overkill option. I'm pretty sure he used rubber slugs inside the shotgun, as I'm still here."

"What do you mean by that, daughter?"

Kaname chuckles and replies, "I was sitting right beside the watermelon. I was feeling so unsure about myself because I had wanted Sousuke to compliment me on my new bikini. Next thing I know, the watermelon exploded, drenching me with watermelon juice. Here's the crazy part. Sousuke was blindfolded."

"BLINDFOLDED?"

Shunya suddenly feels uneasy and gets up to pace around the room, saying, "This is not happening. This cannot be happening. My daughter is in love with a young man that shoots watermelons blindfolded. It's a dream. Yes, a very realistic dream. Isn't it?"

Kalinin chuckles lightly as he replies, "If it's a dream, then we are sharing the same thing, Mr. Chidori. If it's not, then we are very much awake." Shunya looks up at Kalinin, sees the grinning Russian in front of him and sighs.

Shunya then looks around for the bottle of Scotch, suddenly feeling the need to get hammered already. Unable to find it, he sits, sighs and listens to the remainder of the stories.

When she gets done, Shunya shakes his head and starts muttering under his breath. He then looks up in time to see Sousuke and Kaname French each other passionately.

He sighs, thinking about Shizu, how happy she would have been meeting Sousuke and seeing Kaname so happy. He then starts getting angry as the French gets longer and bigger. All while the others grin happily.


	6. Whispered Test and Competitions

Journey to Insanity and Romance p 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Full Metal Panic! Wish I did though.

Whispered Test and Competitions

After Sousuke and Kaname separate from the kiss, they both blush rosily. They then smile at each other and give each other a peck on the lips before turning to the others. What they see is priceless. Tessa smiling and nodding her defeat to Kaname, Kalinin giving Sousuke a grin and nod. Kurz and Melissa tearing up along with Ayame. Shunya, however, is about to burst.

"How dare you French my daughter? In front of guests, no less. What are you going to do for an encore? Knock her up in front of witnesses?"

To his horror, he sees Kaname bringing out her halisen and holding it over her head. He is suddenly relieved when Kaname puts it away, only to get a storm from her.

"Daddy, I love you, but take it easy. Please, for the love of fish, take it easy. Sousuke and I are taking it slow. After all, we just realized our feelings for crying out loud. Sousuke may not be a conventional young man, but at least he's good to me."

She then calms down and says, "Tessa, I'd like you to check over my sister, please. I just want to know if she'll be a target, like I am."

Tessa nods and says, "I'll need a private room to work in. Sergeant Sagara, you are to stand outside the door. If you're needed, you'll be summoned. Is that clear?"

"Affirmative, Madam Captain."

Tessa then turns to Kaname and says, "I'll need you with me, Kaname, as the test for 'Whispered' siblings usually requires the one that is 'Whispered' to serve as a catalyst. Ayame, I assure you, the process will not be painful or invasive. If you can hear voices inside your head, do not be afraid."

Shuddering, Ayame nods and accompanies them to a quiet bedroom, with Kaname holding her hand and Sousuke right behind her. When they get to the room, Sousuke gives Kaname a quick peck on her cheek and Ayame a quick hug to reassure her that she's in good hands.

He then nods at Tessa and Tessa returns the nod, knowing what it means. That he sincerely hopes that Ayame is not 'Whispered' as well. Once the door's closed, Sousuke stands at 'parade rest', yet ever ready for action.

Shunya sees this and asks, "He really takes things seriously, doesn't he? I mean, he's a teenager sure. But, even he has to let loose and have fun."

Kalinin sighs and says, "I'm afraid Sergeant Sagara has no idea as to how to have a good time. Heaven knows Weber and Mao have tried to get him to relax, even during downtime. Unfortunately, however, the last time we let our guard down, it was almost disastrous. It was the time of the TDD-1's first birthday. Needless to say, our enemy allowed himself to be captured. With the aid of two traitors to Mithril, he was able to take charge of the sub. However, he was ultimately defeated when Sousuke and Kaname worked together to defeat him."

Shunya, his interest peaked, asks, "Was this man's name Gauron by any chance?"

Melissa nods and says, "Give the man a cigar, Kurz. He just hit the mother load."

Kurz checks his pockets and says, "I think I forgot them, sis. Oh, wait. I've got a Bonta-kun doll here instead. Will that work?" He then brings out a small plush figure and adds, "I made a few changes to it in honor of Destructo-boy over there." He hands it to Shunya so he can get a closer look at it.

An x-shaped scar on it's left cheek and a shotgun in it's hands. Incredulous, Shunya asks, "You mean he actually dressed as Bonta-kun one time? What brought that on?"

Melissa chuckles and replies, "During the course of our duties, we sometimes have to wear disguises. He was watching over Kaname with a friend of hers at an amusement park, in secret. When she was in trouble with a bunch of drunken Yakuza, Sousuke's disguise was Bonta-kun. But somehow, Kaname saw right through it. I think the shotgun was a dead giveaway. And he did the same thing during the 'Pony Man' crisis, along with teaching a Yakuza family to regain it's self-respect." For the first time since meeting the people with Mithril, Shunya starts laughing a hearty laugh.

His eyes then bulge out as he asks, "He helped a Yakuza family regain it's self-respect?" He listens intently to Kurz's telling of the tale, based on Sousuke's after-action report.

"A squad of Bonta-kuns rescued Kaname and the daughter of a Yakuza boss? They were trained to work like a S.W.A.T. Unit?" At Melissa's nod, he can't help but think that Sousuke is indeed more than he appears to be.

Inside the room, Tessa is holding Ayame's hand while Kaname is holding the other one.

Nervously, Ayame asks, "Should I ask any kind of questions in my mind, to help you?"

Tessa smiles sweetly and replies, "That's not really necessary, but you can if you want to." Ayame smiles gratefully and closes her eyes, squeezing Kaname's hand as she does so.

Within minutes, Tessa is within Ayame's mind. Shortly, she finds that Ayame's mind is of the regular sort. She nods in approval and resonates, 'She's safe, Kaname. She is not one of the "Whispered".' At that, both girls come out of it, shedding tears of relief.

Ayame comes out of it and sees their tears, realizing the news instantly.

"I'm not 'Whispered'?" She then starts shaking in relief and sadness.

Tessa nods and says, "Kaname, I'll go get Sousuke. You had him comfort me on Merida Island. I can at least return the favor." Kaname nods in gratitude as both girls shake in relief.

Tessa gets up, goes to the door and opens it. She then steps out and says, "Kaname needs you more than I do, Sergeant Sagara. It's good news."

Sousuke bows his head and replies, "Understood, Madam Captain." He then walks into the room and takes a seat with Kaname and Ayame. When they look up at him, they see his face and hear his words.

"I'm so glad, Miss Chidori. I was hoping you would be spared a horrible fate. If only people would lose interest in your sister's secrets."

Ayame sniffles and starts sobbing into Sousuke's chest, with Kaname right behind her. Closing the door, Tessa walks into the living room and gives Kalinin a happy nod. Kalinin returns the nod.

Tessa takes a seat with Shunya and gives him the news. It relieves him. He then asks, "Isn't there some kind of operation that can be done? If only to spare my eldest daughter and all the others who are 'Whispered'. Isn't there? I'll gladly pay any amount, even for all the others. But my daughter comes first to me."

Tessa bows her head and replies, "I'm sorry, Mr. Chidori, but there are no known procedures to handle the cause of the 'Whispered' genes. According to the safest research we did, it's genetic to hereditary for the most part. Only a small fraction of the planet has the genes necessary for one to be 'Whispered'. I should know, as I am one of them. I designed the TDD-1 and it's propulsion system. Needless to say, it's both a gift and a curse. At random, a 'Whispered' will spout out information that no one else has access to, outside of military personnel."

Intrigued, Shunya asks, "What kind of information? For that matter, what exactly is the TDD-1?"

Sighing, Tessa replies, "In Kaname's case, the weaknesses of the Electronic Concealment System, A.S. parts and also secrets to the Lambda Driver technology. It was during Sergeant Sagara's first encounter with 'Arbalest' that Kaname helped him defeat Gauron in the forest around Khanka. TDD-1 is the Tuatha de Danaan."

They then hear the door open and out comes Ayame. She sheepishly smiles and says, "Sousuke and Kaname will be out shortly. She just wants him to hold her for the time being. She's still reeling in relief from it."

Her tears then burst forth and she cries out, "Daddy, I'm so scared! I don't want anything to happen to Kaname." She rushes into Shunya's arms, surprising him. He then wraps her in a gentle embrace.

"Don't worry, Ayame. She'll be safe. At least she found someone who'll love and protect her." He unwraps his arms from around her and adds, "I have some calls to make."

He then gets up, goes to the phone, punches in the number and listens to it ring. His face lights up with a sad smile as he says, "Andy? Shunya here. Any chance we can use your warehouse portion for a competition today? Yeah, that's right. Part of it is explosives disposal, but it is tame from my understanding. Great, thanks Andy. See you in a bit then. Bye."

He hangs up and dials another number. "George, Shunya Chidori here. Any chance we can use the Stadium for a competition? It's a match for Arm Slaves. Yes, today. Great, I owe you one. Thanks, George."

He hangs up and dials one more number. "Yes, John Devlin please. John, it's Shunya Chidori. How'd you like to take part in a competition today? Yes, the stakes are quite high. Just a moment."

He cups the receiver and asks, "How about a slight amendment to the wager? My guy wins, he joins Mithril and is immediately assigned to protecting the other 'Whispered' out there. He's kinda bored with working for the U.N. anyway. In his words, they're too stuffed shirt for his tastes."

Kurz grins and says, "If Sousuke doesn't have a problem with it, I sure don't. How about you, sis?"

"If Sousuke can teach Tessa to pilot an Arm Slave, he can teach him a thing or two. Tessa?"

"I find it acceptable. Mr. Kalinin, your analysis?"

"I agree. It's up to Sergeant Sagara and Miss Chidori."

"We accept."

All turn to the source and see Kaname with Sousuke, with Sousuke having heard it all and nodded at Kaname, getting a nod right back, prompting him to answer.

Shunya nods gratefully, returns to the phone and says, "How'd you like to do real bodyguard work, John? I've got someone that just might be better than you here in my house right now. He's a Specialist. He's sparking a relationship with my eldest daughter, Kaname. Yes, we'll be waiting for you at the range and then we'll go to the Stadium. Bye."

He hangs up and says, "He's in. And he is looking forward to meeting you, Sousuke. He hasn't had a decent challenge in months at all. He recently won the marksmanship tournament last week. He's the best marksman I ever came across. Mr. Kalinin, I'll get my personal rifle for our portion of the competition."

His eyes light up in a manic light as he adds, "For a competition well done, I'll make us all a gourmet dinner. Tell me, Sousuke. Have you ever had gourmet meals before?"

"I can't say I have, Mr. Chidori. On occasion, Kaname cooks a good meal for us when we're studying together. She doesn't think it's a good idea for my diet to be so basic at times."

Curious, Shunya asks, "What does your diet normally entail, Sousuke?"

"Protein bars, field rations, beef jerky and plain rolls. On occasion I enjoy a side of fruit along with milk or regular water."

"I'm sure you came across some gourmet meals when you were growing up, lad. I mean, you're fit and trim."

"Not really, Mr. Chidori. Growing up, I had to determine what was safe for me to eat." He then proceeds to tell Shunya about what he had eaten in the past and the best things to avoid.

When he gets done, the whole room is rendered speechless. Even Kaname is stunned and horrified about his diet in the past.

Shunya then gasps and says, "You poor lad. And I thought that your life was harsh. It wasn't just harsh, it was a major mess."

"That's affirmative."

At that, Sousuke goes to get his equipment bag while Kurz contacts the TDD-1. He then hears the clippedvoice of Commander Richard Mardukas.

"Go ahead, Urzu 6."

"Urzu 7 is involved in a competition, sir. Part of it is Arm Slave combat skills. Requesting Arbalest's presence, sir."

"Is the Captain there? I'd like to verify the information, Urzu 6."

"Affirmative, sir. She's right here. Wait one, sir." He hands it to Tessa and she explains the situation fully.

Mardukas then replies, "Understood, Madam Captain. While this is highly irregular, it's also quite intriguing. We're still within helicopter transport range. Where is the event to be held at?"

"The Arm Slave combat is to be held at Yankee Stadium, Mr. Mardukas."

"Very good, Madam Captain. Give Urzu 7 my regards and wish him luck for me."

"I will. Thank you, Commander."

"My pleasure, Madam Captain." At that, the communication ends.

On the TDD-1, Mardukas sighs and says, under his breath, "The things we do these days. Just better make sure this doesn't happen often." He then makes arrangements for the delivery of Arbalest and an M6 to the Stadium.

Back in the Chidori house, Sousuke feels slightly light-headed. Kaname catches this and asks, "Are you all right, Sousuke? You look like you felt something weird inside you. Like you had bad shellfish or something."

"Negative, Kaname. Just a passing tide on the inside. It's not a problem for me. But I thank you for your concern." Kaname, still unsure, nods her acceptance of his findings and elects to keep a close eye on him.

At that, the Chidoris and the members of Mithril leave the house, not knowing the news from the previous day is focusing on Detroit, Michigan.

When they get out to their respective vehicles, Sousuke and Kaname ride with Shunya and Ayame while Tessa and the others get into the Mithril sedan. They then pull away from the house, not turning on the radios at all. Within twenty minutes, they reach the range and see a dark blue Hummer H2 sitting outside. When the vehicles come to a stop, all of them exit the vehicles and head inside. By a strange twist of luck, the range is totally clear, save for a massive series of scenarios.

They then hear a man's voice. "Hey, Mr. Chidori. How's it going today? I'm looking forward to doing this thing today. Anything else I should know about?"

Shunya chuckles and replies, "We're also having an Arm Slave competition along with explosives disposal. It's sometimes best to do everything at one site if possible. But it looks like we'll be doing the competition here and the Arm Slaves at the Stadium. Wouldn't you agree, John?" At that, John Devlin comes out, smiles and starts discussing the competition with Shunya and Sousuke.

He can only be described as a laid-back kind of professional with close-cropped brown hair and a wiry frame. African-American with a constant smirk in place, yet with a pleasant personality.

Without further ado, the others start setting up the events, with Kaname, Kurz, Melissa and Ayame setting up the shooting dummies. Tessa and Kalinin sets up the explosives scenario. All while Shunya is talking with John and Sousuke. Both of them pick up on the inflections in his voice.

"Now, guys, I want a good clean match. No deaths are to occur. Be it we or either of you. I expect you to do everything as much as you can within the time allowed for each match. Is that understood?"

"Yes sir!" Both young men snap off a sharp salute and Shunya walks away, hoping nothing goes wrong with either competitor. The events take fifty-five minutes to set up. Kalinin nods and begins the competition.

"Contestants, this competition is like nothing I've ever seen before. The best of our organization against the best that money can possibly hire. Sousuke Sagara and John Devlin, I expect a fair competition from the both of you. Any slacking on either of you, and the penalties will be stiff. Is that understood?"

Both men reply, "Yes sir!" They then give another salute and the competition begins.

Kalinin explains, "The first set-up is the shooting gallery. The rules are simple. You can use any kind of weapons as long as you don't resort to hand-to-hand combat or hit any innocent targets. And there are plenty of those about."

Devlin looks over at Sousuke and remarks, "You're a Specialist, huh? I can hardly wait to see how you do your job when you're out of rounds for your gun. There are at least two hundred and fifty-eight targets out there. And only a large handful are innocent civilians. Some of the enemy targets are pretty hard to spot. I even have trouble at times."

"Do not worry about me, Devlin. It will not be a problem for me. Worry about yourself, as it is you participating in this as well."

Devlin nods in agreement as both men get ready for the air horn to blare. When it's blared, both of them start the competition. Sousuke sees the first target and shoots it in the head. A clean kill on a robber.

Devlin sees another target and shoots. A man with a Tommy Gun. Slightly nervous, he looks over at Sousuke and grins. 'Still cool under fire, I guess.' To his surprise, Sousuke spots a group of targets around a figure of ayoung woman.

Charging head on, he starts by shooting the goons' hands, rendering them all useless. He then stops beside the target area and fires one round into each hostile dummies' head, leaving the innocent target unscathed.

Sousuke nods and says, "Have a safe night, ma'am."

At that, he goes on to the next scene. Finding a hostile gang scenario, he sees two innocent targets and determines it'd be safe to use a fragmentation grenade, low-yield. He primes it and throws it into the fray. It detonates, blowing the gang dummies away and leaving the innocents intact.

On the sidelines, a stunned Shunya asks, "Is that standard procedure?"

Kurz grins and replies, "It is with Sousuke. Any time he comes across a large hostile crowd, he understands that he will not have time to shoot every single hostile with a semi-auto weapon. As long as innocents are out of grenade range, he's clear to use a low-yield fragmentation grenade."

Shunya nods and remarks, "Points for style and judgment capability. He did cut it a little close though." Kaname nods in agreement as she watches Sousuke go through the course like a hurricane. She then sees John arrive at the gang scene and proceeding to shoot each of them.

Her stopwatch buzzes and she says, "He's taking too long. Twenty gang members against a semi-auto firearm. He'd be quicker using a fully automatic rifle or a grenade like Sousuke just did."

Shunya nods as he writes down the notes. He looks up at Sousuke in time to see Sousuke throw his dagger at a mugger, embedding it into the target's chest.

"Why was he able to get a kill just now and he throw the dagger into a live target's leg just yesterday? Was his aim deliberate or was he just lucky just now?"

Melissa smiles and replies, "If he sent a dagger into a mugger's leg, then he did intend for it to go there. I should know. I taught him to do that. You should have seen him in action at Khabarovsk. He sent an Anti-Armor dagger from his M9 into a Hind and wrestled it to the ground so it wouldn't harm a 'Whispered' girl."

Kurz adds, "He did the same thing for Kaname. Only he threw her up into the air so he could do so. And, he caught her without any difficulty."

"Astounding. Multi-talented. So it's not just talk. He really is the ultimate warrior. I now pity all terrorists he currently does and will face off against. But, just a little bit. Let's hold our rifle competition now, Mr. Kalinin." Kalinin nods in reply as the two men head for their assigned area.

Smiling, Kaname watches Sousuke as he gets to the last shooting scene. The kind that would really test his mettle. The 'Sleeper' scene. In this scene, the objective is to find the sleeper within the proper time frame. In this case, the time frame is two minutes. Sousuke finds the target and shoots it.

Devlin finishes up with the other scenarios and comes up to the last scene, seeing Sousuke at the sideline, already finished. He checks the target area and sees his target. He then fires, ending the match.

Smiling, he goes over to Sousuke and nods, acknowledging his prowess on the field. Sousuke returns the nod.

Kurz then walks up and says, "Mr. Devlin, I'd like to know why you felt Mr. Walker had to die." The target of Mr. Walker has two bullet holes in it's head. One from each competitor.

"Mr. Walker had a cell phone in his hand, holding it waist level instead of up to his ear. The shape of it was unusual, given it looked like an original hand-held model, even though it was a new make and model. I saw what appeared to be a muzzle at it's top. Even more, I saw no sign of a hands-free headset. That made him the sleeper in my book. I'm sure Sousuke felt the same way."

Kurz smiles and says, "At least you weren't the only one that hit the right target. Sousuke got him too. Looks like we have a slight tie here. The Arm Slaves should be at the Stadium any time, so we can relax for a time. The A.S. and explosive disposal matches will be the tie-breakers. They could go either way, so don't lose your cool. That goes for the both of you." With that, both competitors relax and watch the shooting match.

Kalinin, using a Druganov sniper rifle, nails every target in the head while Shunya uses a Winchester 30.06 rifle and nails every target in the heart area. Both men cease firing and compare their scores. Since both are proficient with their weapons, the match had resulted in a tie.

"Well, Lt. Commander, looks like we have a tie. I've never had such an invigorating competition before. I actually enjoyed it. That's a fine weapon you have there. I assume you have it with you at all times."

"Only if I have an opportunity to engage in a match like this. You have a fine weapon as well, Mr. Chidori. Perhaps you would benefit from Sergeant Sagara's tutelage along with the rest of the U.N."

Shunya smiles as he replies, "I'd really like that. No matter what the results, I'd be proud to have Sousuke as my son-in-law. I saw Kaname smiling as she watched him work on those targets. She's really in love with him. Ever since her Mom died, she had felt so lost. But, now she's happy and in love. I shouldn't have said what I did."

Kalinin nods and says, "I know what you mean, Mr. Chidori. I know what you mean. Perhaps you should tell Sousuke about the amended wager. If you like, I'll go with you to verify your statement."

"That'll help, Andrei Kalinin. Thank you for a spirited match."

"Indeed it will, Shunya Chidori. I thank you as well."

At that, the explosive disposal portion comes up. Sousuke looks over at Kaname and sees her grinning proudly, knowing what he's going to do to ensure reliable disposal. He then looks over at Devlin and sees him putting on a Kevlar suit. Incredulously as possible, he snorts and returns his attention to the objective at hand.

At the sound of the buzzer, both competitors head for the target area. Sousuke reaches his target first and starts his procedure. He examines the locker and sees signs of tampering. Nodding, he brings out a wedge of C-4 and presses it onto the door. On the sidelines, Shunya's face goes pale and his jaw drops to the ground upon watching Sousuke use his procedure.

He turns to Kaname and asks, "He isn't going to do it, is he?" At Kaname's smile, cackle and nod, he starts wishing he had found and brought the bottle of Scotch with him. He then looks over at Devlin and smiles when he brings out an explosives detector, as per standard procedure for the bodyguard network.

Kaname is thinking, 'Come on, Sousuke. This time, there is a bomb. You can do it, my heart.'

Suddenly, they hear Sousuke's voice. "Fire in the hole!"

KABOOM!

The explosion has everyone but the Mithril members, Kaname and Sousuke reeling. Shunya is so in shock, he breaks his pen with only a slam into the table. He looks back at Kaname and sees her smiling, very proudly.

She then clicks her watch and says, "Sousuke's got this round. The quickest means may not always be elegant, but as long as people get the warning, it's not a problem."

This has Ayame, Kurz, Melissa, Tessa and Kalinin chuckling while Shunya bangs his head on the table. He then hears Kaname say the most surprising thing.

"Mr. Devlin, have you ever considered the possibility that the bomb could have some kind of sensing device that would detect your detector there? You were lucky it didn't detonate when your device started sending out signals. Suiting up in Kevlar took too much time. Now, if you had only a wedge of C-4, the detonation cord and a blast shield, you would have won this round. You see, these folks were kind enough to make and bring two bombs the way they're meant to be. Destructive, able to detect electronic signatures from detection devices and have a very high yield in power. Tessa and Kalinin briefed me as to the bombs. I wasn't permitted to tell anyone until after the round was over."

Devlin's jaw drops in horror and he shakes it off, for he knows what is next. The Arm Slave match. He then snickers as he thinks about how he's going to show Sousuke up. At that, the group leaves the range, assuring Andy they'll return to clean the site up. They then leave the range and head for Yankee Stadium.


	7. Arm Slaves and Dinner

Journey to Insanity and Romance p 7

Disclaimer: I do not own Full Metal Panic! Wish I did though.

Arm Slaves and Dinner

As all three vehicles reach the area, the group sees flares coming up out of the Stadium and grin, knowing that the pilots of the transport helicopters have been eagerly waiting for their arrival. Once inside, Shunya gets a good look at Arbalest.

"It really does exist. It looks so much like it suits Sousuke. Especially his personality. Tough, durable and downright serious."

The competitors then race for the Arm Slaves, Devlin sneaks a look at Arbalest and lowly whistles. Once he reaches the M6, he grins and mounts up. Powering up it's systems, he sees the words 'Welcome guest' on the main screen. Grinning still, he unlocks the joints and prepares for the match.

When Sousuke gets onto Arbalest, he glances back at Kaname and nods his signal. Blushing, Kaname says, "Sousuke, there's no way an amateur can pilot a robot like that!"

"I'm not an amateur, Miss Chidori! In fact, I'm a Specialist!"

"Then go to it, my darling Specialist!" Sousuke nods and blushes at the same time as he leaps down into the cockpit. Kaname giggles and blushes as she returns to the sidelines.

She then shrugs as she says, "Had to find some way to inspire him to win. So, we decided on the night in Khanka, the first time I saw him pilot an Arm Slave. Only, I made a slight change to what I said that night."

Kalinin nods as he takes his position and says, "This match will determine the victor, although Sergeant Sagara has a lead by five points. There will be no gunfire, specialized equipment or Anti-Armor daggers. Instead, the combat style will be hand-to-hand. Once or if you go onto your back for any reason, including flipping the opponent over, the match is over and the last one standing wins. The M6 versus the ARX-7. Good luck to both contestants. Let the match begin!"

Inside Arbalest, Sousuke puts his limbs into the waldos and initiates start-up procedures.

"Sgt. Sousuke Sagara. B-3128."

"_Welcome, Sgt. Sagara."_

"Close hatch. Set controls to Mode 4. Bilateral angle is 3.5."

"_Roger."_

"Let's go, Al."

At that, both Arm Slaves come out of their corners and engage in hand-to-hand combat. In five minutes, Sousuke manages to gain leverage over the M6 and flip it over Arbalest's head. Devlin's M6 manages to right itself and land on it's feet.

With his arms and legs inside the waldos, Devlin starts his counterattack, intent on using the weight of the M6 against the ARX-7.

Sousuke nods in approval and maneuvers his waldos to sidestep Devlin and brings his arm out in a clothesline fashion. This knocks the M6 flat on it's back. It's agreed that it was the shortest match in A.S. competition history.

Stunned, Shunya asks, "Is clotheslining your opponent part of hand-to-hand combat?"

"In Sousuke's case, it's acceptable. Many times, an opponent will rush at you in order to defeat you. If you cannot go on your back, surprising, and often dirty, tactics are what work best. As long as I've known him, Sgt. Sagara has proven himself worthy of being with the SRT. Wouldn't you agree, Madam Captain?"

"Indeed I would, Mr. Kalinin. Mr. Chidori, despite the fact that Mr. Devlin lost, he shows potential in being recruited by Mithril. If I was in charge, I'd snap him up in a heartbeat. But, since my Command is restricted to the Tuatha de Danaan, the only thing I can do is submit his resume. Ultimately, it's up to the higher ups."

Shunya smiles the faintest of smiles, nods and says, "I find that to be acceptable, Madam Captain. I can only hope Sousuke's up to teaching the U.N.'s bodyguards a thing or two. It should be quite exciting to have him teaching the Diplomats as well."

Kaname smiles and brings out a radio, turning it on. She then hears the broadcaster talking about Detroit.

"In national news, Detroit, Michigan had a war of it's own yesterday. The Police, along with the residents of the Cadillac Heights neighborhood and 'Team Hawk', were able to stop a plan by the criminal organization, the Sho-Da-Kah. At last count, all members of the Splatter-Punks street gang, along with the Consul for the Chinese Consulate and the foot soldiers of the Sho-Da-Kah, had been killed by rounds from the weapons used against them. Two of 'Team Hawk's members, Street Hawk and War Bird, were instrumental in stopping the Sho-Da-Kah dead in their tracks. Oh, that's funny." The laughter can be heard as Kaname shuts off the radio.

She then shakes her head and starts to wonder if Mithril could use 'Team Hawk' within their ranks. She goes over to ask Tessa.

"Tessa, what do you think or know about 'Team Hawk'?"

"I don't really know much about them, Kaname. But, I have heard of them. We were on our way to China to extract Lily Mach when we heard that she had already been extracted. It's almost as if 'Team Hawk' was interested in her welfare, not just us. Almost like, she was family to them. Sgt. Sagara was to go solo into Chinese airspace with Arbalest, extract and bring Ms. Mach to us so we can get her to the Hague, as the crimes she was witness to were classified as crimes against humanity."

Kaname nods as she watches Sousuke hop down from Arbalest and go over to Devlin's M6, still flat on it's back. He opens the cockpit and brings Devlin out, a dazed grin on his face.

Devlin comes out of the daze, smiles and says, "Didn't see that one coming. You're a smooth one, Sousuke Sagara."

Sousuke nods and replies, "You weren't too shabby yourself, John Devlin. With a little more 'intense' training, you just might surpass me one day."

Devlin, getting up from the ground, nods and shakes Sousuke's hand, grinning and saying, "I look forward to it, Sousuke. I'll do you proud."

"I already am. For I met a competitor with a good sense of fair play when it comes to protection. However, in the future, avoid ritual things like Kevlar suits. They take up too much time to put on." Devlin laughs and slaps Sousuke on the back, walking away as he does so.

Kaname sees this, nods and thinks, 'I'll tell him tonight at dinner. He needs to know.' She then goes over to him, blushes and kisses him fully, saying, "I don't know about you, Sousuke, but I'm hungry. Watching you work builds up an appetite."

Sousuke nods and replies, "I am as well, Kaname. Shall we?" Kaname grins and takes his offered arm into hers and they both walk to the sidelines, where they see Devlin talking with Shunya and nodding in agreement.

Tessa then starts playing with her ponytail, comes up to them and says, "Congratulations, Sgt, Sagara. You gave everyone a good contest. In fact, you earned yourself a special award, for all that you've accomplished."

"Special award, Madam Captain?"

"Yes. Mithril High Command has decided to award you a medal, given that you are an exceptional Soldier. It's a new one, so it's not in the books yet. You might say it's like an achievement award of sorts. In fact, I'm about to make the announcement."

Rendered speechless, Sousuke stands stock still, prompting both girls to giggle and summon Kalinin and Kurz to pick him up and carry him into place.

When they're done, Tessa clears her throat and says, "Attention to orders. Sousuke Sagara, Sergeant of Mithril, is hereby awarded with this Medal of Dedication. Due to his many engagements in combat, years of experience, loyalty to comrades and skill, High Command has seen fit to award Sergeant Sagara with this Medal. To put the Medal around his neck will be Miss Kaname Chidori."

In shock, Kaname steps forward and accepts the Medal from the petite Captain. She then resonates, 'Thank you, Tessa.'

'Don't thank me, Kaname. Sousuke earned this. And also, High Command, along with the Legal and Finance Departments, thinks this will bring the mayhem Sousuke wreaks down onto everyone down considerably.'

'I wouldn't count on it.'

'Nor would I, as I have told them the same thing.' At that, both girls laugh and giggle before Kaname puts the Medal around Sousuke's neck.

When she's done, Kaname says, "I'm so proud of you, Sousuke. You've definitely earned a very special night." She then giggles at the sight of Sousuke's sweat and gently kisses him on the cheek.

At that, the helicopters power up, hoist the Arm Slaves and fly them out of the Stadium, engaging their ECS as they do so. As soon as the helicopters are out of sight, the group leaves the Stadium and return to the range. Once there, they set about repairing the damage done to the area and picking up the spent cartridges.

Sousuke and Kaname handle the cartridge pick-up while Devlin, Kurz and Melissa work on repairing the damage as best as they can. Ayame, Tessa, Shunya and Kalinin watch intently and nod in agreement. Today had indeed been a good day. They had a good competition, no one got hurt and Shunya is secretly pleased that his eldest daughter found a young man worthy of her affections.

When all the work is finished, they whistle in admiration. Not a single bit of brass was missed, all the target backgrounds used had been repaired. Of course, since the locker that Sousuke was with had been totally destroyed, they loaded it's remains into the dumpster. Andy is so in shock, Tessa reassures him that he'll be getting a new locker.

Kurz and Melissa exchange a hearty high-five before Kurz gets up to his usual antics and pinches Melissa's rear end. Melissa, in turn, belts Kurz and then knees him in the groin. This gives everyone a good chuckle as the group returns to the vehicles.

On the way back to the Chidori house, Sousuke looks over at Kaname and smiles at her proud smile. Kaname blushes and says, "I could get to like your smiles, Sousuke. Just, don't do anything weird or dangerous for a while. Okay? I don't want to lose you, Sousuke."

"I'll do what I can, Kaname. But, unfortunately however, life itself is weird and dangerous. In order to survive, you'd have to do weird and dangerous things."

Kaname laughs and says, "You're funny, Sousuke. You're also right. Life is weird and dangerous. You just gotta know where and how to find it. Or at least be able to avoid the weird and dangerous things."

"That's affirmative." At that, the vehicles reach the Chidori house and they all go inside to unwind after such an interesting competition.

Shunya, as he goes into the kitchen, asks, "Sousuke, would you like to learn how to cook?"

"Affirmative, Mr. Chidori. Shall I bring one of my weapons with me?" Sousuke follows Shunya into the kitchen, eager to learn.

"Uh, negative. You're on vacation right now, but you're still a bodyguard. Oh, what the heck? Go ahead and bring your Glock in. Who knows? It just might prove useful. Just so I know. What kind of bullets are in there?"

As he takes position at Shunya's side, he replies, "Rubber bullets, Mr. Chidori. It will not be a problem."

"I certainly hope not. I have some questions regarding Kaname. Does she hit you at times? She has a bit of a temper."

"Only rarely these days. I think she's getting used to my presence around her."

Shunya chuckles as he says, "Well, that's good. Now, for dinner tonight, I'll be doing Veal Parmesan with orange sauce. Now, you'll find the ingredients in the cabinet over there." He hands Sousuke the recipe list and Sousuke proceeds to get the ingredients. All while Kaname watches him, a warm smile on her face.

Shunya then asks, "Aren't your parents worried about you, Sousuke? I don't think they would have given Mithril permission to train you in being a soldier."

"They're dead, Mr. Chidori. They died helping the needy when Soviet troops came along and slaughtered the village. Believe it or not, sir, the Lt. Commander and I were once enemies. When we'd go up against each other, we'd do our best to kill the other. Then Gauron attacked a rebel base along with a pair of RK-92 Savages. There were no survivors among the bodies."

Stunned, Shunya asks, "How'd you two get to become allies? Get the shredded Parmesan Cheese if you please."

"We struck an uneasy partnership and vowed to bring Gauron down. The Lt. Commander was the decoy while I was the sniper. I shot Gauron in the head, but he survived because he had a titanium plate in his head from a previous injury. Also the shallow angle of the shot allowed him to live. After we thought he was dead, we became comrades. Here's the cheese you requested, Mr. Chidori."

"Please, call me Shunya."

"Understood, Shunya." He turns back and sees Kaname with tears in her eyes as she steps forward to wrap Sousuke in a hug.

"Sousuke, that must have been hard for you to go through that memory again." Before Sousuke can reply, she places her finger on his lips, causing him to kiss it softly. Kaname blushes at Sousuke's boldness and gives him a quick peck on his cheek.

She then returns to the living room to await the finest dinner for a celebration of a well-done competition. For two hours, they're eagerly waiting and they soon smell the aroma of a fine gourmet dish.

Sousuke comes in, bows and says, "Dinner is served."

At that, the crowd bolts into the dining area, trampling him onto the floor, eager to get a good seat. All except Kaname, as she picks her hero up from the floor and giggles at his dazed expression. At that, she brings him out of it with a kiss, full on the mouth. Sousuke returns the kiss as he comes out of the daze.

The two teens then go into the dining room and take their seats, with Sousuke sliding Kaname's chair in for her, surprising everyone, especially the two of them.

He leans down and whispers into her ear, "Just my way of showing how special you are to me." He takes a seat beside her, shrugs and adds, "It's a start at least."

Kaname blushes and nods at the sweet thought from Sousuke. They both then begin to eat, very carefully and wanting to savor every bite. Within thirty minutes, everyone else had already turned in for the evening, leaving the two teens alone.

Sousuke and Kaname are still eating side by side when he suddenly stiffens.

Kaname sees this and asks, "You all right?"

"Affirmative. Just had a weird feeling. It's not a problem."

"What kind of feeling, sweetie?"

"Like I have family somewhere. But, all the family I know of is dead, Kaname. Most perplexing, to be certain."

Kaname smiles and says, "Don't worry, Sousuke. If you like, we can check your family's names within the records of missionary groups. We can then find out if you have family or not."

She then leans closer to him and adds, "You've helped me with so much in my life. My Father included. This is my way of returning the favor, my charming and handsome protector and boyfriend."

At Sousuke's sweating and blush, she laughs and smothers him with kisses. She then looks into his steel-gray eyes with her chocolate-brown and softly whispers, "I'm ready. Are you?" Sousuke nods and the two lovebirds go into her room, spending the night with each other.

In China, deep within a compound, a man and a woman are watching the news when the man sees a familiar face, smiles and says, "Hello, Kashim."

He then sees the left cheek of the face and, exasperated from surprise, adds, "That's not Kashim. But, it looks so much like him."

The woman nods and says, "That's the same kind of face that removed the girl from the lab in Khanka, though. Do you suppose they're related somehow?" They then see the name of the face, causing the man to chuckle.

"Turn up the volume and let's see what Luke Sagara has to say." The woman nods and does so.

After a while, the man laughs richly and says, "Kashim has a cousin still alive and doesn't even know it. Just like the cousin doesn't know that Kashim is still alive. Those two have got to be 'reunited', Doctor. Wouldn't you agree?"

The woman nods as she and the man begin plotting the 'reunion' for the cousins that they had just learned about.

Author's Note: That's it for this chapter. Incidentally, this chapter ended the same way 'Kim Possible and Street Hawk: Diplomatic Immunity' did, yet that one had more at the end. If you want more details, please switch over to that story in particular. In the next chapter, Sousuke learns he has a living relative via watching the news on television. The group then goes to Detroit so they can meet him and try to reestablish a rapport. This goes on for six chapters. The rest of the story will take place with Sousuke and his relative parting ways as the group heads back to New York, for more romance and insanity.


	8. The Next Morning and Detroit

Journey to Insanity and Romance p 8

Disclaimer: I do not own Full Metal Panic or Robocop. Wish I did though.

The Next Morning and Detroit

When Kaname opens her eyes, she smiles at the sight of Sousuke sleeping soundly beside her. She gently wraps him in her arms and presses him to her nude body. Holding him like he's her favorite teddy bear, she sighs and thinks about how well it had gone.

She then runs a slender finger along the scar on his left flank. When she gets to the end of the scar on his flank, she sees another scar. This one is on his left bicep.

She gasps as she remembers how he had gotten it.

_Danigan was trying to kill her when Sousuke stopped him. Danigan was then trying to shoot him while Sousuke was trying to evade him and his bullets. A bullet went through the outside of his bicep, as he was flying toward Danigan. Once Danigan was dead, the two teens made peace with each other. Kaname then freaked when she saw Sousuke's bicep wound, prompting him to reassure her._

As she does so, she thinks, 'Sousuke has done so very much for me. Always charging head-on into dangerous situations, just to keep me safe. How many times can he do so until Fate decides it's time for him to stop? I've seen him get hurt so many times. All to keep me safe.' She then strokes his other scars, very softly.

Sighing, she quietly remarks, "So many scars, so much pain inflicted on him. How does he keep from screaming out when it hurts?" She then feels him twitching slightly and smiles warmly as Sousuke opens his steel-gray eyes.

"Good morning, Sousuke. Have a good rest?"

"I never slept so well, actually. Of course, we didn't get a whole lot of rest, did we, Kaname?" Kaname blushes and shakes her head no before she lightly giggles and kisses Sousuke completely.

"Sousuke, I've been thinking about something."

"Like what, Kaname?"

"Since I'm a 'Whispered', and we're together now, it got me to thinking. If we were to marry and have children, would they be 'Whispered' as well? If they turn out to be and they're targeted, it'd be a nightmare."

Sousuke sighs as he replies, "I can't really say for sure, Kaname. As you know, my knowledge of the 'Whispered' is strictly limited to only your protection and the reason why I love you so much. You have an inner courage, are intelligent and also very beautiful. Me? I've been a warrior ever since I was eight years old. It's like Melissa said. Teenage mercenaries are not exactly normal. From all appearances, you had a normal childhood, according to your dossier shortly after we started our mission."

Kaname scrunches her face and nods in agreement, knowing her boyfriend is being quite accurate. She then giggles as she says, "I think I started having feelings about you the first day we met. I wasn't quite sure what to make of them. After all, you were just following me around like some crazed stalker. But, then you came and rescued me in Khanka, told me about your actual purpose for following me and saved me."

Sousuke shakes his head, smiles and replies, "Actually, Kaname, we saved each other. I only saw myself as an expendable soldier. A migrant mercenary. Plenty of those on the planet, so it's not like I would have been missed by anyone. When I looked into your eyes, I felt myself falling into them."

Kaname blushes as she thinks about it and realizes something. "We were about to kiss back then, weren't we? Then Kurz had to just ruin it by clearing his throat. If anyone deserves a halisen massage, it's him, starting today. I think I'll let Melissa do that."

At that, Kaname hears a strange sound from Sousuke. "Sousuke, you all right?"

Suddenly, Sousuke bursts out into laughter and rolls off the bed, holding his sides and tears coming out of his eyes.

"I don't know whether to feel relieved that I'm being spared from the halisen or if I should be worried about Kurz. Once Melissa gets started with something, she doesn't quite let up."

Sousuke resumes his chuckling as Kaname rolls her eyes and giggles at her normally serious boyfriend's behavior.

She then gasps as she thinks, 'I'm actually thinking of him as my boyfriend now. It was bound to happen sooner or later. I was just trying to get used to the idea.'

Getting up from the bed, she doesn't blush as she starts to get dressed in front of Sousuke. She then hears Sousuke getting dressed as well.

Sousuke remarks, "We'll have to sleep in separate rooms tonight, Kaname. If your Father knew about what had happened, he would most certainly go through the roof."

Kaname sighs in agreement as she returns to the bed and sits down beside him. She then wraps an arm around his shoulder and says, "It's a sound idea, Sousuke. After all, it was our hormones that got us in here. I don't think Daddy would enjoy hearing about his eldest daughter and her boyfriend having hot, steamy, passionate sex inside his house."

Sousuke nods and blushes in agreement. Kaname sees this and whispers, "When we get back to Tokyo, we'll experiment some more. I really enjoyed last night, Sousuke."

"As did I, Kaname. As did I." Kaname smiles warmly at him, gets up, finishes dressing and leaves the bedroom to see what's on the television.

Five minutes later, she returns to the room and sits down, saying, "Sousuke, it's a good thing you're sitting down right now."

"Why do you say that, Kaname? Is it bad news?"

"No, more like strange to weird news, Sousuke." She then turns his face towards hers and says, "I remember the day you told me you forgot my notes. I'll tell you the same thing, only with a different result. At times like this, it's important to keep calm. Sousuke, you have a living relative. A cousin that looks just like you, only without the scar."

His reaction is subdued as usual. At least until he processes the information completely. His eyes go wide excitedly as he says, "A cousin. Where and who?"

"Detroit, Michigan and his name is Luke Sagara."

'Blood brother, I pledge to thee, I will always remember thee.' Sousuke remembers that faint memory, shakes his head and says, "I need to see his face, just to be sure. But, what was he doing in Detroit?"

"It seems that he was fighting alongside Detroit Police, the residents of Cadillac Heights and 'Team Hawk'."

"Was he injured?"

"No, he wasn't. But he did kill some goons from a group called the 'Sho-Da-Kah'. I caught the tail end of his statement. He said that you wouldn't have approved of what they were doing. He strongly feels you're dead, Sousuke. It may be time for a reunion of the cousins Sagara. Who knows? He may be just like you. Brave, sweet and determined."

"How about moody and manic, Kaname?"

Kaname merely shrugs and says, "That's all environment, Sousuke. After all, you witnessed your parents' deaths when you were a child. You later on became the ultimate warrior, found a new friend in Kalinin, joined Mithril and started working for the cause of Justice."

"Do the others know yet?"

Kaname nods and replies, "They were watching the news when they saw his face. Daddy said the resemblance was totally uncanny, save for your scar of course. But, otherwise, you could be taken for twins."

Sousuke gets up from the bed slowly, finishes dressing and walks out the door, with Kaname right behind him. He then feels her slip her hand into his and give it a soft squeeze, with Sousuke returning the squeeze with the same amount of softness.

When they get to the living room, they see the others sitting away from the screen, in order to allow Sousuke to see his cousin.

Sousuke goes into shock as his mind reels from it all. 'I have a cousin. I actually have family.' At that, Sousuke falls backward onto the floor, causing the others to gasp. Kaname kneels down beside him and puts his head into her lap, stroking his face as she does so.

Tessa and Kalinin check on his vitals and Tessa sighs in relief as she says, "He's all right. He's just in a serious state of shock. As long as I've known him, I've never known Mr. Sagara to be this way. It must have been overwhelming for him. Just like when I visited at Jindai High and he collapsed as well."

Kalinin nods in agreement as he says, "I've known Sgt. Sagara for a good long time now. It would take quite a bit for him to go into shock. Even learning about living family would tend to be much for one that went through life without his parents to guide him as he grew older and stronger."

He then turns to Kurz and Melissa, saying, "Get Intelligence on the horn. Have them get everything on Luke Sagara. I want everything within one hour." Kurz and Melissa nod, smiles on their faces as they proceed to make the calls to Intelligence.

Shunya comes up and asks, "Will he be all right? If he's like that upon learning about a living relative, then perhaps he isn't the right guy for Kaname."

"Baka!" Kaname's shout has Shunya reeling. She then explains, "It takes quite a bit to shock Sousuke, Father. Massive combat zones with two hundred enemy Arm Slaves, no problem. Facing off against his fiercest enemy, also not a problem. A swarm of angry classmates and females, a slight problem. His superior Officer driving his hormones crazy, potentially big problem. But, Sousuke spent most of his life without his family. Now, he learns that he has a cousin living in Detroit, Michigan. A cousin that looks like him, no less. If you were in Sousuke's shoes, with the same circumstances, wouldn't you feel the same way? Sousuke's my dream guy. This is only the second time he had been this badly fazed. I'm sure it won't happen again. Also, when Tessa visited, Sousuke was up for four days and nights before she even arrived. With no rest at all."

She turns to Tessa and asks, "Can I speak to you alone, Tessa?" Tessa nods and Kaname gently lifts Sousuke's head off of her lap and gently lies it onto the floor. She then kisses Sousuke's lips as she gets up and walks with Tessa.

When they get into the hallway, Tessa giggles and says, "That took quite a good amount of guts on your part, Kaname. Undoubtedly, you would make Sergeant Sagara very happy should you two wed."

"Uh, yeah. About that. Tessa, if a 'Whispered' was to give birth to a child, would that child be 'Whispered' as well?" She then shakes her hands in front of her, adding, "It's not like I'm expecting at the moment. It's just something that crossed my mind after Sousuke and I started our new relationship."

Tessa smiles and gently replies, "There hasn't been any research on the chances of the offspring of 'Whispered' being 'Whispered' themselves. After all, no one knows where the 'Whispered' came from or how they even came to be."

She then takes Kaname's hand and adds, "If you do have children, put recording devices into their bedrooms for when they start speaking. If they start talking technical terms in their sleep, that indicates that they are 'Whispered'. I'm afraid that's all I can think of for now, Kaname. I'm truly sorry."

Kaname, feeling down yet hopeful, replies, "It's not a problem." She then gasps, smiles and says, "I am starting to be like him. Picking up his thinking methods, his speech patterns. What am I going to pick up next? His desire to destroy enemies or everything around him?" At that, she starts laughing and, soon, Tessa starts laughing as well.

Tessa calms down enough to say, "I don't think Sousuke truly wants to destroy everything around him. After all, he's just doing what he can to keep you safe and in his life. I picked up that much from you both when you visited us on the de Danaan. As much as he was unwilling to admit it, he was quite perplexed with his thoughts about you. Just like you were about him. I guess his innocence in everyday life and bravery under fire was what first attracted me to him. You saw the same things in him as well, didn't you?"

Kaname nods and replies, "Oh yeah. And then some. Every day, before he even came into my life, I had a hard time waking up as I have a very hectic and busy lifestyle. When he came along, that all changed. He makes me feel alive, more alive than I had ever felt before. The best part of it is that he doesn't really have a very high opinion about himself. I mean, this one guy for example, Saturo Shirai. Talk about a real loser. Yeah, sure he was cute in his own way, but he was too vain. Kept on looking at me like he was expecting to be able to get with me. When Sousuke was shown the graffiti about me, he did everything in his power to maintain and defend my honor. Now, what kind of guy do you know of that would be able to do that other than a guy like Sousuke?"

"How exactly did he try to maintain and defend your honor, Kaname?"

Kaname giggles as she replies, "By sticking Shirai's head into the toilet during an interrogation in the boy's room. Of course, I didn't much care for how he went about it. But, after his fake date with Mizuki, I realized that he would do anything to help a person save face. That includes dunking a person's head into a toilet."

Tessa sighs as she says, "That's Sgt. Sagara for you. Any actions he deems dishonorable, he'll do anything to keep things honorable for the target if the person had been targeted by the dishonorable party. Was Shirai responsible for the graffiti in the boy's room?"

"I don't really know. I'll tell you this much though. Whoever it was must have stopped upon hearing about Shirai's encounter with the toilet and Sousuke. I guess they weren't too thrilled with the idea ofgetting the same treatment from Sousuke if they had kept it up and he found out it was them."

That has Tessa giggling along with Kaname as both ladies return to the living room.

Upon arrival, they are both relieved to see Sousuke sitting up on the floor and being helped up by Kalinin. Kalinin gives him a gentle thump on his back in congratulations on having a living relative. They then hear the most endearing question from Sousuke's mouth.

"When can I meet him? It seems I've got a lot to catch up on with him."

"Indeed you do, Sergeant Sagara. If you like, we can arrange for the charter to fly you and Miss Chidori along with Sgt. Weber and Sgt. Major Mao. Just, try not to tell him too much about yourself or Miss Chidori at one time. Too much information might not be a good thing to have."

"Affirmative, sir." At that, Kurz comes up with a smile on his face.

He then says, "Intel came through for us. Mao's got them on the line right now." The next thing they know, Sousuke had bolted through the doorway and right to the radio. Chuckling slightly, the others follow Sousuke and listen to the information as it comes in.

"Luke Sagara, 23 years of age. Occupation: Delivery person. Military experience: Marine Corps; Five years, honorable discharge. Family listed as follows: Father; Fukoa Sagara, deceased. Mother; Kimiko Sagara, deceased. Uncle; Fumiko Sagara, deceased. Aunt; Keiko Sagara, deceased. Cousin; Sousuke Sagara, missing, presumed dead. That is only the official public records. Now might be a good time to adjust the information, Urzu 7."

Nervous, Sousuke asks, "Does he have a contact address?"

"Affirmative, Urzu 7. His residence is located in Detroit, Michigan. 548 Primrose Lane."

Excited now, Sousuke asks, "Does he have a contact number?"

"Negative, Urzu 7. It seems he doesn't trust the phones in the world anymore. After all, it was a phone call that informed your relatives about your supposed demise."

"Urzu 7, roger." At that, Sousuke ends communication with Intel. Looking back at Kaname, he sees her eyes shining brightly with hope and affection.

She then says, "The ball's in your court, Sousuke. What do you want to do?"

Sousuke bows his head down, in thought. He then shoots it back up, wearing a manic grin and says, "I'm meeting him, Kaname. Care to come with me?"

"Affirmative, Urzu 7." At that, Kaname runs up to him and gives him a big kiss and hug.

Meanwhile, Kurz and Melissa are starting to make arrangements with the Mithril charter to fly the four of them to Detroit.

Kaname then thinks of something more and says, "You guys may want to wear civvies in Detroit. I don't think the Police will think too kindly about you wearing fatigues while in town."

Kurz and Melissa grin, head to their rooms and get changed. Kaname turns to Tessa and asks, "Would you to come along as well, Tessa?"

"As much as I'd like to, I must return to de Danaan, along with Mr. Kalinin. I spoke with Commander Mardukas yesterday after Sergeant Sagara's victory and informed him that the Sergeant had received his Medal. I'll be informing him upon return to TDD-1 as to Mr. Sagara's cousin. I'd love to see his face when he hears the news." Tessa then lets out a giggle as does Kaname.

Shunya and Ayame look over at Tessa and Ayame says, "I'd like to go along with Kaname and Sousuke, Tessa. After all, his cousin sounds like he'd be cool to meet."

Tessa ponders and replies, "I do not see a problem if Mr. Chidori doesn't."

Shunya, torn, weighs the options. He then slumps his shoulders and says, "I do not see a problem in Ayame going with your finest soldier, Captain Testarossa. As much as I'd like to see the Tuatha de Danaan however, I cannot leave New York right now. The U.N. is voting on a new Security measure regarding our Embassies around the world. For some reason, even though I'm the Delegate for Environmental Issues, they require me to be present."

He looks over at Kaname and adds, "Don't be afraid to use your new earrings on any punks that come your way, Kaname."

Kaname grins and replies, "It won't be a problem, as I'm sure they'll get a blast out of them." Shunya's jaw drops in shock as Kaname says, "What can I say? Being around Sousuke has certainly helped me quite a bit. When we get back, we'll go to Ground Zero so Sousuke can honor those that died trying to save innocent lives and I can support him. As I trust and believe in him."

Shunya nods in agreement, remembering Sousuke's Mithril patch. A shield with a sword, globe and wings.

Shunya then asks, "Were there any incidents involving petty thugs?"

"Only indirectly, Mr. Chidori. The first time was when a young girl at the school put a love letter in my locker. I detonated it, as I thought a bomb had been placed there. When I reconstructed it, somewhat as a majority of it had been incinerated in the blast, I thought it was a threat. So I went to set up a preemptive strike. I had the girl in my scope the whole time. Then, along came a trio of thugs. They intended to assault the girl, but Kaname stopped them as best as she can. When one started moving on her, I struck. All three had been knocked silly, thanks to rubber slugs from my shotgun."

Sousuke sighs and goes on. "I didn't find out until later that the girl had a crush on me, as she told me she had placed a love letter in my locker. She ran away, heartbroken, when I told her I detonated it and aimed my shotgun at her. However, that's not the end of the story. A couple of days later, Kaname, myself and Miss Tokiwa were accosted by the same three thugs as we were heading home from the arcade."

Kaname giggles and jumps in. "Sousuke destroyed a shooting game with his gun, thinking it'd be faster than pointing the light gun to the side to reload it. In any case, they wanted to hurt Sousuke, but he convinced them otherwise. Sousuke, what kind of gun did you use anyway?"

"Steyr SPP, Kaname. Fully automatic. After all, peaceful solutions are the best solutions. Those three were scared senseless, Mr. Chidori. They reported to the leader of their gang and she made arrangements for me to 'discuss' things with her."

"More like she wanted you hurt, Sousuke. In any case, they tied me up, put a 'Hostage. Do not touch' sticker on my forehead and waited for Sousuke to show up. When he did, Mari Akutsu had him disarm himself. By the time he was done, she was furious and freaked out at the same time. And the members of her gang completely went pale."

Shunya shrugs and says, "I see no reason why she would be freaked out over Sousuke having two weapons."

Kaname laughs and replies, "That's because he was packing about fifteen weapons. Right, Sousuke?"

"About that many, Kaname. Give or take seven more. In any case, she wanted to know where I had put it all at on my person." At Shunya's pale face and bulging eyes, he continues.

"She then forgot about the question and ordered the thugs to beat me senseless. That was when I introduced my 'extra special guest' for the meeting."

"Mari's brother, Yoshiki. Sousuke tied him above the warehouse floor as a bargaining chip. He then started blowing up ropes and 'persuading' the creeps to go home by telling them that everyone has something important to them."

At his dropped jaw expression, she finishes. "Don't worry, Daddy. Yoshiki made it safely, as it's not Sousuke's way to actually hurt an ally on purpose. Mari let me go and we both walked out. When we got to my apartment, I cooked Sousuke a bowl of beef and plain rolls."

Shunya shakes his head and sighs. He then slumps his head, chuckles and says, "I'd like to hear some more of your stories when you three get back from Detroit, Kaname. Sousuke, please give Luke my regards. I can only hope he's half the man you are. In other words, not so destructive."

"Affirmative, sir." Sousuke snaps to Attention and fires off a quick salute, causing Shunya to laugh out loud.

In Detroit, Michigan, Officer Elizabeth Davis and Luke Sagara are preparing to go on a date when Luke stiffens suddenly.

"Luke, what's wrong?"

"I'm not quite sure, Liz. Just a weird feeling I have that I'm going to meet someone integral to my past." He then turns to Davis, grins and says, "I have hope, Liz. I hope it's Sousuke, alive and well."

Davis smiles, strokes Luke on his cheek and softly says, "Good. Now, start thinking of a way to greet him when you see him again. After our date. Understood?"

"Affirmative." At Davis' puzzled expression, he shrugs and adds, "No idea why I said that."


	9. Flight to Detroit and Fragging a Mugger

Journey to Insanity and Romance p 9

Disclaimer: I do not own Full Metal Panic or Robocop. Wish I did though.

Flight to Detroit and Fragging a Mugger

On the Mithril charter, Kaname and Sousuke are sitting quietly, with Sousuke and Ayame wringing their hands together and Kaname writing in her notebook. A sad smile is seen on her face as she writes two names on there. Sousuke sees her expression and moves to comfort her.

"Kaname, you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, Sousuke. Just starting my own list of fallen Mithril heroes. I've got two of the names down already. It's in case something is ever to happen to Mithril. Be it disbanded or..."

"Understood, Kaname. I have some more names for you. Gray, Andy, Jackson, Bill, Batist. They were the group I went back to Helmajistan with to assassinate Gauron. Bill ignored my advice and led the charge against Gauron. He was the first to fall at Gauron's hands. That was the most horrifying thing the others had seen. When the others had died, I faced off against Gauron. Gray told me to make it home and not to worry about her."

Kaname writes the names down, gives Sousuke a hard look and says, "Sousuke, I want you to do everything in your power to keep yourself off this list. If I have to put it on there, I want it to be from 'Natural Causes', not 'Killed in Action'. Do you understand me, Sousuke? I just don't want to lose you like you lost your Squad back there. Just, why did they ignore you?"

Sousuke sighs and replies, "Because of my age, apparently. Batist realized I was right and urged the others to listen to me."

He then slumps his shoulders and adds, "They did, for a time. A lot of good it did them. Gauron destroyed the truck, the others and their Arm Slaves. I was able to use the Lambda Driver to defeat Gauron's A.S. I then dragged the nuclear warhead to the rendezvous site."

His head bolts up, his face scrunched in thought. He turns to Kaname and says, "The first time I used the Lambda Driver, you said it picks up on the pilot's thoughts. Does it go the same for subconscious feelings and thoughts? Especially doubts."

"I'm not sure, Sousuke. Did you have some one time?"

"Affirmative. Berildaobu Island. What if 'Al' was suspicious of the situation and my subconscious was as well? Could that have resulted in the Lambda Driver not activating, while it did activate in the past? Like, somehow, a sense it was a set-up, just to take over the sub?"

"Were you feeling unsure of yourself or were you feeling a set-up from the start of the mission?"

"It might have been both, I'm not sure. After all, I'm just a soldier, not a genius."

Kaname puts her hand on Sousuke's face, smiles and says, "I believe in you, Sousuke. You don't have to be a genius to understand things. If you had suspicions, and the Lambda Driver didn't work, that could very well be a connection."

She then leans forward, kisses him and adds, "You're not just a soldier, Sousuke. You're a Specialist, a master of any kind of combat. I'm proud to be your girlfriend, Sousuke."

Sousuke blushes, turns and sees Kurz looking at them both, a smug grin on his face. "Please, don't mind me, Sousuke and Kaname. If you two want to make out, feel free to do so. You two look so cute together."

"Kurz!" Both of them had yelled at the same time, prompting Melissa to come up to his seat and belt him in his groin, a savage grin on her face. She then turns to her friends, smiles and winks, causing them both to blush.

Kaname then sighs as she recalls Tessa and Kalinin's departure.

(Earlier that day)

_They were watching Kalinin and Tessa depart when Kaname had a wicked idea. She then wrapped her arms around him and softly whispered into his ear, causing him to blush furiously. _

_Ayame, jumping up and down, pleaded, "Tell me what you said, Kaname. Please tell me, sister." _

_Kaname stuck her tongue out and replied, "I'll tell Tessa instead. It'll be up to her." She then sent a resonance to the petiteCaptain and smiled wickedly when Tessa stumbled, prompting Kalinin to assist her in getting up. _

_Kalinin then turned back, gave Kaname a shaking fist in jest and waved Ayame good-bye. Still pouting, Ayame gave Kalinin a wave right back as the door closed. Once the door closed, the helicopter lifted off, engaging it's ECS upon getting out of eyesight of the spectators._

Kaname smiles in satisfaction as she comes back to the present, closes her notebook and takes Sousuke's hand affectionately, stroking his long, hard fingers with her fingertips. Sousuke, in turn, looks over at Kaname, smiles and remembers when she was in her Mother's favorite kimono. She had looked radiant that day. No, more than radiant. Glorious, truly beautiful all dressed up.

Kaname catches his smile and blushes, catching on to what he's thinking. She then giggles and says, "I wish I thought to bring Mom's kimono with me. There'll be another time, I guess. I wonder what the others are doing in Japan right now."

Sighing, she adds, "Knowing Kyoko, she's taking pictures along with Shinji. Mizuki is probably up to her usual behavior of being a show-off. The Rugby guys are probably practicing themselves silly."

"That's a very distinct possibility, Kaname. Very possible. Just like when I took you to my favorite fishing spot on Merida Island." At that, the two lovebirds sigh and lean into each other. At that, they all fall asleep.

An hour later, Ayame stirs and asks, "Are we there yet?" Sousuke and the others open their eyes, wondering the same thing.

The pilot's voice then comes on and says, "We're approaching the Airport now, folks. Please fasten your seatbelts and prepare for landing." Within ten minutes, the plane lands and rolls to a stop.

To everyone's disappointment, there's no shuttle or car waiting for them on the tarmac. So the group runs across the tarmac while the plane heads into the hangar.

Making their way through the terminal, they see all kinds of sights within the building. People selling watches and other goods, prostitutes picking up other people and, finally, a man coming at them. Kaname instantly gets a bad feeling from this guy, as do the others.

The man brings out a switchblade knife, smiles savagely and says, "That's lovely jewelry, Missy. Hand it over! Now!"

"No way, loser. My boyfriend gave this to me and I'm not going to let it go to waste. It simply wouldn't be worth your life."

The mugger laughs richly and says, "You've got it backwards. See, if you don't give it to me, then I gut you, your boyfriend and your friends. Then, I'll rape your corpse. Is that worth your jewelry?"

Smiling wickedly on the inside, Kaname puts a frown on her face and says, "I'm sorry, Sousuke. You worked really hard to get this jewelry for me." She then proceeds to remove one of the grenades from her earlobe.

"Don't worry, Kaname. It can be replaced. It's not a problem."

At that, Kurz, Melissa and Sousuke grin savagely and start backing away. Sousuke then nudges Ayame, still grinning, causing her to back up and grin savagely as well.

This has the mugger puzzled until he sees the object up close. He's then shocked when he sees the chain removed from the earring and suddenly frightened when Kaname shoves it into his mouth.

"Eat this, you loser pervert!"

Kaname and the others then bolt away, leaving a confused mugger in their tracks. The man has no time to yell, as the grenade has detonated, blowing his head off.

Upon detonation, everyone starts screaming in fear, running for the door while the group of five calmly makes it's way to the exit. Next thing they know, they hear Police sirens, sigh and know that their trip has gone completely awry.

Five minutes later, they hear foot-stomps and soon see a massive cyborg along with a tanned and fit young woman.

"I'm Commander Alex Murphy, this is Officer Sheila Murphy. Were you witnesses to the explosion?"

Kaname smiles softly and flips her hair, as Diplomacy is her skill.

"Of sorts, Commander. The dead body over there had the nerve to mug and threaten me. I shoved an earring into his mouth. My sister, friends, boyfriend and I then got clear of the scene and the guy went 'kaboom'."

Sheila asks, "What kind of earring was that, Miss?"

"Chidori. Kaname Chidori. The earring was a fragmentation-type grenade. Blast radius of five feet and with a ten second fuse. My boyfriend gave me a pair of them and I had to use one of them."

She then sighs and adds, "I couldn't chance him killing us because we could identify him in a lineup. I warned him it wouldn't be worth his life. He then threatened my sister, Ayame, my boyfriend Sousuke and his friends, Kurz and Melissa. He even threatened to rape my dead body for after he had gutted me."

Sheila's jaw had dropped when Kaname had informed them it was a grenade in the form of an earring. She then looks at the others and sees a familiar face.

"Luke Sagara, does Elizabeth know you're here?"

Sousuke grins and replies, "I'm afraid you're mistaken, Officer. Luke is my cousin. I'm Sousuke Sagara." Sheila's eyes cross and she falls flat on her back. Sousuke asks, "Was it something I said, Commander?"

Commander Murphy grins and replies, "My subordinates call me Commander. You can call me Robocop." He then switches on his stress analyzer and asks, "If your name's Sousuke Sagara, where have you been for the past nine years?"

"Afghanistan, Lebanon, Iraq, Columbia, Cambodia and, most recently, Japan and New York."

The analyzer comes back 'completely truthful' and Robocop asks, "Where did you have the ordnance used made at? It must have been custom-made."

Sousuke, not wanting to blow his cover, replies, "I had some friends I know make it for Kaname."

The analyzer comes back 'with-holding information' and Robocop grins, knowing he's got a challenge on his hands. "Are these 'friends' of yours mercenaries by any chance? And, are you one yourself?"

Sousuke's mind is in shock as he thinks, 'He must be able to analyze the stress level in an interrogation subject. This is not good, very not good.' Kaname picks up on his thoughts, having seen him sweating profusely.

She then sighs and says, "Guys, we should probably go somewhere more secure. We'll have to tell Robocop everything. He's just too good at spotting people that try to hide things."

Robocop checks her stress level and finds it slightly elevated, yet not enough to raise a red flag in his system.

He then bends down, picks up Sheila and carries her in his arms, saying, "My daughter-in-law has taken a serious shock to her system. We should go to the Station. Your friends will have to sit in the very back. You three will sit in the back seat. We'll let Sheila ride in the front seat until she gets herself back together."

At that, the group slump their heads and follow the cyborg as the Coroner comes up and secures the headless corpse. When they get outside, they see a Police Hummer H1 sitting outside.

Kurz and Melissa hop up into the bed of the H1 while Ayame, Sousuke and Kaname get into the back seat as Robocop loads Sheila into the front seat and fastens her in. When all is done, they head for the Station.

As they ride, Kaname and Sousuke think about all that they had gone through together. From Sousuke blowing up shoe lockers all the way to his feelings for her, Kaname feels like this is all surreal.

She didn't expect to fall in love with a highly-skilled soldier over time. At first, it was a flame of a crush within her soul. Now, it's a raging bonfire.

Both exciting and scary at the same time. Exciting because she had a hand in 'taming' the wildest soldier she ever had the greatest pleasure of meeting. Scared because she doesn't want to think about what would happen once his assignment ends in Tokyo, or worse. After all, a soldier's life can have unexpected turns at times.

In the field, it's often death or survival. So far, Sousuke has been lucky on the survival part. Yet she cannot help but wonder if his number's going to be called up once he goes back on duty or not.

She recalls their arrival at the Pacific Island Base for Mithril after Gauron's attempted destruction of the sub. Tessa was holding a memorial service for two fallen heroes. Both were designated as 'out on patrol'.

'Lord, please. Don't bring Sousuke out on patrol to you. If he wasn't around, I wouldn't be here. I'd be long gone if it wasn't for him. He's finally happy, given that he has seen more than any child should ever see, done more than he should and been through just as much. I thank you for letting me meet him and for him to meet me so we could fall in love with each other. Amen.'

Kaname looks over at Sousuke and smiles softly at the sight of his face. Blushing, yet it is of granite with a distinguished scar. His jaw set firmly, eyes right ahead and his wild hair flying around with the windows being down.

She can't help but giggle, prompting him to turn his head her way. Smiling softly, she puts her hand over his and softly squeezes the fingers in a sign of affection.

Sousuke was deep in his thoughts when he heard Kaname giggling. When he turned to look at her, he saw the 'Whispered' girl he had rescued in Khabarovsk within her eyes. Frightened, hopeful and happy. Frightened because she came close to dying, hopeful for a better future and happy to be alive still.

Seeing Kaname smile sends him into a feeling he can't quite describe. When he feels her squeezing his fingers gently, he returns it as gently as possible. When Kaname giggles again, he somehow knows he had done it the right way. At that, the rest of the ride goes in silence.


	10. Interviews and a Reunion

Journey to Insanity and Romance p 10

Disclaimer: I do not own Full Metal Panic or Robocop. Wish I did though.

Interviews and a Reunion

Upon arrival at the Station, Sheila opens her eyes, smiles and says, "It was just a dream. A girl did not blow a mugger's head off with a fragmentation-type grenade the size of an earring. It's just not possible. And her boyfriend's name is that of a dead child."

She then hears a young man's voice behind her. "Actually, within a person's mouth, a fragmentation-type grenade is quite capable of blowing a person's head off. Even one the size of an earring. And, I am quite alive, Officer." Sheila turns around and sees a face that she recognizes.

"You mean, it wasn't a dream?"

"That's affirmative." Behind him, a man and a woman wave hello while Kaname smiles proudly at her beau. Another girl gives Kaname a bright smile and then smiles at Sheila.

"Oy. Just when I think I have the world figured out, it throws a new curve at me. What next?" She then shakes her head and says, "You've had an interesting start of your trip here. What's your purpose here anyway?"

"I'm here to reunite with my cousin, Luke. But first, we have to give your Commanding Officer a full briefing."

Before Sheila can ask, the Hummer comes to a stop and the others get out of the vehicle. At that, the whole group goes inside and heads for a group of interview rooms. Robocop decides against separating them, as he can spot a liar within a group.

He then offers them seats and they take them, graciously. "All right, first order of business. My last questions had you flustered, Mr. Sagara. Would you care to explain?" Switching on his stress analyzer, he waits for Sousuke's response.

"Sergeant Sousuke Sagara, sir. My colleagues are Sergeant Kurz Weber and Sergeant Major Melissa Mao, sir."

"Miss Chidori and her sister?"

"Kaname is my girlfriend and protection assignment, sir. Ayame is only along so she can meet my cousin, sir."

Curious, Robocop checks the analyzer. 'Completely truthful'. He then asks, "Why is Miss Chidori your protection assignment?"

"I am sorry, sir. I'm not cleared to release that information. Only my C.O. or the Captain have that authority, sir."

"You mean you're with a Military-type organization?"

"Affirmative, sir. I am Sousuke Sagara, Sergeant of Mithril. My call sign is Urzu 7, my I.D. number is B-3128. I'm a Specialist, sir."

Robocop turns to the others and asks, "Can you verify his statements up to this point?"

Kurz stands up and says, "Sergeant Kurz Weber. Urzu 6, B-3127. Sniper. Mithril"

"Sergeant Major Melissa Mao. Urzu 2. B-2798. Field Commander. Mithril."

"Kaname Chidori. Angel. Girlfriend to and protection assignment for Sergeant Sagara."

"Ayame Chidori. Just hanging out with my sister, her boyfriend and their friends."

Robocop lets out a long, rumbling sigh and says, "I shall return." At that, he steps out of the Interview room and goes to Sheila's side. "They're either adept at beating stress analyzers or they're being completely truthful."

He then turns his head and says, "Call Davis and have her bring Luke here. He's the only way we'll be able to determine Mr. Sagara's identity."

"Right away, sir." Shelia goes to her desk and proceeds to call Davis. "Davis, bring Luke down here please. We need him to confirm an identity. No, not over the line. It's a personal matter for the subject. Right."

She then hangs up the phone, returns to Robocop's side and says, "Let me take both of the Chidori girls to the room next door. Do a little 'girl talk'." At Robocop's nod, she does so.

Once inside, she says, "Sisters Chidori, I'd like to buy you some soda and talk with you in detail."

Kaname looks over at Sousuke, worried, and asks, "Would it be all right if Sousuke came along?"

Sheila smiles her snarky smile and replies, "I don't think he'd relish engaging in 'girl talk'."

"Uh."

Sousuke's usual utterance gives Kaname her answer, along with Ayame's desire to engage in 'girl talk'. Kaname then giggles and kisses him on his cheek, following Ayame and Sheila out of the room. Once outside, the door closes, leaving the members of Mithril inside the room.

Kaname follows them to the Break Room and sees the door to the Squad Room. She then chuckles as she sees the pattern of a human on the door.

Still chuckling, she asks, "Who did the door, Officer Murphy? It's quite unique."

"Actually, a Chinese Diplomat ran out of there, going through and damaging the door. We have yet to replace it. What, do I have something on my nose?" She had seen Kaname's look toward her and figured something was strange.

Kaname shakes her head no and replies, "I'm just trying to see if I have this straight. You're telling me that a Chinese Diplomat ran right through that door, leaving that in his wake?" Ayame's eyes are wide as she processes the information.

"That's about the sum of it, Kaname." Sheila then leans forward, looks into Kaname's eyes and asks, "Was Sousuke telling the truth?"

"Affirmative. He and his friends are actually mercenaries and I started out as his protection assignment. We just started seeing each other romantically. Of course, Sousuke's got quite a few rough edges. Along with artillery pieces. Officer, you all right?" She had seen Sheila's expression change drastically, having her look a little green around the gills.

Sheila weakly nods and replies, "I'll be fine and right back." She then gets up, walks staggeringly through the doorway and returns to Robocop's side.

"She's telling the truth, Alex. They all were. Which means that Mithril is real."

At that, Sheila faints, falling backwards toward the floor. Robocop is able to catch her and take her back to her desk. When he has her seated, he turns to Kaname and Ayame, both still standing in the doorway with concerned looks on their faces.

Kaname asks, "Is she all right, Robocop? I'd hate to think I caused her some kind of discomfort."

"She's all right. It's just so much for her to take in at one time. I'm curious. How did a teenager become a mercenary?"

Kaname sighs and tells Robocop all about Sousuke's past, including what he had told her about himself. She then brings out her notebook, sighs and opens it.

"This is my personal list of fallen heroes for Mithril. As far as I know, there have only been seven killed since I came to be under Mithril's protection. There were even a pair of traitors. They're not worth mentioning in my list. As far as I'm concerned, they can rot in hell. Apparently, someone higher up had given Gauron access to classified information. Information that no one else is allowed to even have."

Ayame's eyes shed tears as she reads the names on the list.

_'Lieutenant Gail McAllen: Died on Tuatha de Danaan. Murdered by traitors.' _

_'Leading Seaman Lian Shaopin: Died on Tuatha de Danaan. Murdered by traitors.' _

_'Bill: Died in Helmajistan. Killed in action by Gauron.' _

_'Andy: Died in Helmajistan. Killed in action by Gauron.'_

_'Gray: Died in Helmajistan. Killed in action by Gauron.'_

_'Batist: Died in Helmajistan. Self-destructed and killed by Gauron.'_

_'Jackson: Died in Helmajistan. Killed in action by Gauron.'_

Ayame then says, "I hope Sousuke'll be able to keep himself off of the list." Kaname and Robocop nod in agreement.

At that point, the door opens and Kaname sees a very familiar face with a woman with brunette hair and a fair complexion. She smiles at the uncanny resemblance between her beloved and his cousin, even while finding it incredibly odd for the most part. Robocop picks up on her smile, turns and sees Luke Sagara along with Davis. Both were clearly dressed for a fine lunch.

Robocop walks over to Luke and says, "Luke, there has been an interesting development. I'd like to get your opinion of it when you find out about it. First off, this is Kaname Chidori, from Tokyo, Japan. Kaname, this is Luke Sagara."

"Hello, Kaname."

"Hello, Luke. It's nice to meet you. This is my sister, Ayame. She lives in New York with my Father."

"Likewise. Hello Ayame. Tokyo, huh? A long way from home, aren't you?"

"I was just visiting family with my boyfriend when I saw the news. He simply had to meet you. Ayame wanted to meet you as well."

Kaname sighs and goes on. "You see, Luke, my boyfriend is your cousin. He spent a very long time in various war zones, fighting to stay alive. Ever since his parents died in front of him. Now, you can doubt me if you want to, but trust me on this. Please, trust me. When you see him, you will notice a scar on his left cheek. Other than that, the resemblance is uncanny. Even I'm baffled by it. I mean, twin cousins? Or at least cousins that look alike? That's a very rare thing."

Incredulous, Luke looks over at Robocop and asks, "Where is the impostor at? If he is impersonating my cousin, by having had surgery, I will clobber him."

He then looks back at Kaname and adds, "Even state-of-the-art surgical procedures for facial reconstruction cannot avoid leaving scars in their wake. My fingertips are highly sensitive, so I'll be able to pick up traces of scarring along his face."

He's surprised when Kaname nods her head with a smile on her face and replies, "Have at. Just be ready to shed some tears, Luke. Undoubtedly, Sousuke would shed one or two when you establish a rapport. He's not much for showing emotions. At least he wasn't when I first met him."

Unsure, yet hopeful for an answer, Luke follows Robocop into the Interview Room. Once inside, he sees three people. A man with long blond hair, a woman with short black hair and a young man that looks very much like him. He's then relieved when Robocop signals the first two to leave the room to allow the two men to get acquainted. He sees the woman give the young man a warm hug from behind and a ruffle on his hair. The woman gives Luke a nod and a smile. The man, however, does something totally unexpected.

"Sousuke's my best friend, like a brother of sorts. Break his heart by denying him and his existence, I will curse your remotest descendants. Is that clear?" At Luke's startled nod, the man grins and says, "Don't worry. He's the real deal." At that, the man leaves the room, only to get a sock in his gut by the woman.

The young man then says, "You'll have to forgive Kurz, I'm afraid. He's been very protective of me ever since we met at a training camp. But, there are times I wish he would just reign it in."

"Yeah, my cousin was like that at times too. I'm partly convinced, but I need more to go on. Would it be all right if I checked your face with my fingers?"

"Affirmative. It's not a problem." Allowing himself a wry smile, Luke steps closer to the young man and puts his fingers to the look-alike's face. Finding no scars at all, he steps back and whistles admirably.

"Make no bones about it. Whoever did your surgery was good. A couple of questions. How did you get your cheek's scar?"

"An Afghani rebel leader dragged his knife on my cheek twice, in a crossing pattern. The wound never healed. However, I have grown quite attached to the scar, as it is now part of who I am."

Luke sighs and asks his other question. "What kind of toy did we fight over most of all? Only my cousin would know, as it is not within Public Records."

"It's been a long time, but I recall a figure named 'Shogun Samuki'."

"That's one of them. Any more?"

"'Samurai Tomiko'."

"That's the one we fought over the most." Tears welling up, he steps closer, smiles and says, "If you are really Sousuke, I'm sure you know our pledge."

"Blood brother, I pledge to thee, I will always remember thee."

"It is you! Sousuke!" Both cousins wrap each other in a hug and Luke starts sobbing while Sousuke is only able to shed one or two tears, like Kaname said he probably would. Then Luke releases Sousuke and belts him in the stomach.

"Where the devil have you been, man? You never called or wrote to let us know you were still alive. Mother and Father were heartbroken at the news of Uncle, Aunt, and your reported passings. They died six years ago, not knowing that you were still alive."

To his surprise, Sousuke chuckles and replies, "It would be best if I introduced my friends, girlfriend and her sister first. Then I'll be able to fully brief you as much as I can. It will not be a problem." At that, he gives Kaname a subtle hand signal, having seen her standing outside the Room.

Kaname sees Sousuke's signal, smiles and says, "Identity confirmed, Robocop. Sousuke would like us to go inside now."

"How could you tell? All he did was brush his hand back over his head."

"That's one of the signals in his book that he had written and given to me. If he decides to get it published, it'd be a big hit."

At that, Robocop chuckles and opens the door to the Interview Room, allowing Kurz, Melissa, Ayame and Kaname entry into the Room.

Once they're inside and the door had closed, Sousuke begins telling Luke all about his life since his parents had died. Of course, he has to edit a few things out. Including Mithril and Kaname being 'Whispered'. But, other than that, he tells Luke all about his life.

He then asks, "What have you done since we last saw each other, Luke? We have a lot to catch up on."

"Well, while my life wasn't as horrendous as yours was, it certainly had it's moments. Mom and Dad died before I graduated from High School, so I had two choices. Either go into the Welfare Division of OCP or join the Military's special program for young teens that hadn't turned eighteen yet. Needless to say, I chose the latter. After completing the program, I turned eighteen and went into the Marine Corps, hoping to make you proud. I saw a couple of hot spots, but handled it well. Left the Marines and went to work as a delivery guy. One day, I was assigned to deliver a massive box filled with armored suits. Right here to this Police Station. That's when I met her, Elizabeth Davis. She's an Officer here. Needless to say, I'm sure you heard about the war in Cadillac Heights."

At their nod, he goes on. "'Team Hawk' came in and kicked the Sho-Da-Kah's asses along with the Splatter-Punks. We were completely out of ammo and would have bought the farm were it not for them and the spare ammo they brought with them. They were truly a godsend. Almost as if they knew we would have ammo trouble."

Turning to Kaname, he smirks and asks, "How'd you meet and fall for my cousin, Kaname?"

Kaname smiles warmly and replies, "It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining and the cherry blossoms were blowing around. A friend of mine came up and we exchanged some words. Next thing I know, a certain military maniac arrived at the school with a gun in his bag. Little did I know just how topsy-turvy my life would become. We danced around our feelings so much, it was hard to keep things straight. One night, I was picking petals off a flower, trying to answer my question. Sure enough, I was. Sousuke, however, used a round of 'Russian Roulette'. Don't worry, he had a target on his wall. He shot it instead and got his answer. He was as well. Then we came to the States, saw my Dad and sister, held a competition and found out about you the next day."

Luke shakes his head and asks, "When you said military maniac, you mean like a major league military otaku nut, right?"

Kaname looks at the Mithril members, a question in her eyes.

Sousuke picks up on it, sighs and replies, "It's somewhat complicated, Luke. What I'm about to tell you is not to leave this room. You have never heard of the items I'm about to mention. Seeing as you are family and a fellow combatant, I'm willing to take a chance."

At that, Sousuke proceeds to tell Luke all about Mithril, the Tuatha de Danaan, the ARX-7, the Lambda Driver and the 'Whispered'. Luke takes it pretty well.

"Your life has certainly been memorable, Sousuke. Now, you are a Sergeant with a very lovely girlfriend. Me? I'm just a delivery guy that has Military experience. But you had done so much more for this world and Kaname. She must be really special to you."

Sousuke blushes and replies, "Affirmative. She is that. She also has the ability to surprise me, constantly. Just like when she dressed in her Mother's kimono. I didn't even recognize her. Then came the worst time of Jindai High."

"Terrorist attack? Nuclear bomb on the grounds?"

"Negative. Have you ever heard of a clothes-eating bacteria?" At Luke's shake of no, Sousuke proceeds to tell him all about it.

By the time he's done, Luke's jaw had completely dropped, Kaname's blushing deeply and Sousuke's sweating. Ayame, Kurz and Melissa, however, are laughing up a storm.

Melissa then calms herself down enough to say, "It's a good thing Tessa wasn't there. She probably would have enjoyed having her clothing being eaten in front of you."

Kurz adds, "You're lucky nobody had even killed you, Sousuke. How did you get them to stay the execution?"

"Actually, I have no idea as to how that happened. I told Kaname that I don't expect to live for much longer after I found out what the weapon actually was. Evidently, the objective of the designer was to make a chemical weapon so vicious, it would totally embarrass the enemies' ranks into total surrender. The 'Full Monty Bacteria' was that weapon."

Luke recovers his wits to ask, "Any other incidents at the school, Sousuke?" Kaname nods and tells Luke about all the times Sousuke blew up shoe lockers, his training the school's wimpy Rugby team into hard-core, blood-thirsty savages and, finally, dressing as Bonta-kun in order to protect Kaname from a group of drunken Yakuza at an amusement park.

Amazed and amused at the same time, Luke ponders another item. In shock from the memory, he says, "Please don't tell me you were responsible for the new equipment that the Miami P.D. used."

"Actually, I was. I still can't understand how or why it didn't sell well."

Luke starts laughing and replies, "I have one word for you. Fumoffu. Does that answer it?"

Kaname turns to Sousuke, starts giggling and asks, "You mean you made the equipment in the form of Bonta-kun?"

"That's affirmative."

At that, Kaname turns the giggle into a full-blown laugh, with Luke, Ayame, Kurz and Melissa right behind her. Next thing they know, Sousuke's shaking and starting to chuckle.

"I guess it wasn't one of my better ideas. But, I thought, at the time, who would suspect such a comical creature of being able to carry out raids?"

Kaname calms her laughter down enough to reply, "I guess it would make some kind of sense. But, Bonta-kun?"

Tears streaming down from her eyes, she wraps Sousuke in a hug from the side, giggles and kisses his cheek, saying, "Don't ever change, Sousuke. Not anymore, anyway. You're absolutely worth keeping around."

"Affirmative, my darling Kaname." At that, Kaname blushes as Sousuke kisses her, resulting in another loud and raucous laugh from the other four in the room.


	11. Tuatha de Danaan and Picture

Journey to Insanity and Romance p 11

Disclaimer: I do not own Full Metal Panic or Robocop. Wish I did though.

Tuatha de Danaan and the Picture

Meanwhile, the helicopter carrying Tessa and Kalinin has started landing procedures onto the Tuatha de Danaan. Once they disembark the helicopter, Tessa softly smiles. As they reach the bridge, she sees Commander Mardukas go stiff.

"Attention on deck! Captain is on the bridge!"

"Stand easy, Commander. I even some news regarding Sgt. Sagara. It seems he has a cousin that looks just like him. Except for his scar."

"I see, Madam Captain. What was his reaction to the award and the news regarding his cousin?"

"I'd say it's pretty safe to say that he was very speechless. In shock, even. Miss Chidori sure enjoyed putting his Medal around his neck."

"I'm sure she did, Madam Captain." At that, Mardukas, Tessa and Kalinin return to the business at hand, intent on getting everything back onto routine business.

Tessa nods and says, "Helm, submerge to a depth of 500 feet and head South by Southeast at 30 knots."

Mardukas, following protocol, repeats it. "Helm, submerge to 5-0-0 and head South by Southeast at 3-0 knots."

"Aye, aye. Submerge to 5-0-0 and heading South by Southeast at 3-0 knots."

Tessa smiles in approval at the Helm's proficiency and says, "Let's go to Merida Island. I have some paperwork to catch up on in the meantime. I even have it waiting some more waiting for me on the island. I'm sure that Mithril High Command would appreciate the report regarding Sergeant Sagara's progress."

Kalinin chuckles at the thought and says, "He may be unpredictable, but at least he doesn't die so easily. If he was predictable, he'd be dead a thousand times over." That was the closest he could come to paternal pride for his destructive subordinate.

Mardukas nods and says, "As long as we're heading in that direction, you can take the time to catch up on your paperwork in your cabin, Madam Captain." As much as he disliked Sousuke in the past, he also found him to be very resourceful, even in the most trying times.

Back in Detroit, one hour later, Kaname, Ayame, Sousuke and Luke are in the break room when Sousuke sees a picture on Sheila's desk. He notices that one of the people in the picture looks nothing like Sheila.

A young woman with red hair, wearing a Maternity size wedding dress and very pregnant. With her is a young man wearing a Yarmulke and using a cane, with blond hair and an adoring smile on his face. Sousuke goes over to get a closer look at the picture, waking Sheila when he gets close to her.

Sheila grins and asks, "How's it going?"

"Pretty good, no problems here. Question. Who is this in the picture?"

Sheila smiles and replies, "Kimmy and Ron. They got married when Kimmy was seven months pregnant. Two months later, she gave birth to triplets."

"Why is Ron using a cane?"

"Ron was badly hurt by a villain during their last mission. His right knee was destroyed. Ever since then, 'Team Hawk' has taken over where 'Team Possible' left off."

Sousuke's mind reels as he recalls the name. "The 'Team Possible'? Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable got married? They look incredibly happy, Sheila."

"That they are, Sousuke. That they are."

"How long have you known them?"

"I've known them for about five years now, I think. We weren't always friends. I guess you could say we were sworn enemies. That was until my former boss got the idea to kill Ron. Just because he and Kimmy were engaged to be married. You see, I used to be Shego. That all changed for me when I found out about their joyous news and met my husband."

"That's great, Sheila." Sheila chuckles and grins at Sousuke, nodding her thanks to him.

She then gets up, stretches, claps Sousuke on the back and urges him back to the Break Room, where Kurz and Melissa had just returned from the Range to help the Police improve their gun-fighting skills. Without blowing their covers, of course.

Kurz gives Kaname and Luke a wink as he asks, "Sousuke, you wanna try shooting against one of Detroit's finest? After all, buddy, you're on stand-down now."

Sousuke looks over at Kaname and sees an enthusiastic grin on her face along with Ayame. He then turns to Luke.

When he sees Luke nod eagerly, he replies, "Affirmative. Who shall I be competing against?"

Melissa replies, "Robocop."

Sousuke frowns and says, "It wouldn't be fair to me. After all, he's got a targeting grid based on the information I had gleaned from the past news reports. I'd be at a severe disadvantage. The only way it'd be fair was if he was not to engage the grid."

He then hears Robocop say, "Good. I was hoping you'd say that. I've come to rely too heavily on my targeting grid. If it was to go down, I would need a back-up plan for gun battles. I'm in if you are."

Sousuke grins and replies, "Affirmative, sir. I've always wanted to go up against a top-notch marksman. Even if he has a targeting grid that can activate and deactivate at will."

Robocop gives Sousuke a light chuckle and says, "May the best shooter win."


	12. Sousuke vs Robocop

Journey to Insanity and Romance p 12

Disclaimer: I do not own Full Metal Panic or Robocop. Wish I did though.

Sousuke versus Robocop

As Kurz goes to the Hummer to get Sousuke's weapons bag, Sousuke and Robocop make their way to the Range. Kaname, Ayame and Luke are flanking Sousuke while Sheila, Davis and Melissa are flanking Robocop.

When they get there, they see a technician in place to ensure Robocop does not engage his targeting grid at any time. Sousuke then does the most absurd thing.

He ties a blindfold over his eyes, saying, "A handicap for you, a handicap for me. When I was running with the Afghani rebels, I learned to shoot while blindfolded. Ask Kaname. She can attest to that."

"That's right. He used a shotgun on a watermelon, obliterating it. And he was wearing a blindfold. Of course, I was beside the watermelon when it exploded! I got drenched with watermelon juice, all because Sergeant Screwball here decided a bat would not be good enough to split the watermelon!"

Luke's jaw drops in shock as he looks at his cousin and realizes that Sousuke has truly done more than his fair share of destruction. Worldwide to local, he's done it all.

Robocop shrugs and puts his hand by his thigh, receiving the Auto-9 as it comes out. Kurz comes in with Sousuke's weapons bag and opens it at Sousuke's side. Sousuke kneels down and randomly selects a weapon. He then grins as he brings out the Franchi SPAS 15 Assault Shotgun.

Robocop lets a low whistle, knowing that the Franchi would make short work of the target. He then shrugs as Sousuke shoulders the shotgun and Kaname aims him manually. She sights along the barrel and nods approvingly. She then gives him a quick peck on his scar for luck. At that, the competition starts.

Robocop and Sousuke open fire at the same time, Sousuke wiping out his target in seconds while Robocop blows out the target's head, chest area and groin area.

This gives Sousuke a slight lead and has Robocop nodding in satisfaction at the amount of competition that Sousuke is giving him.

Robocop turns to the others and says, "He's certainly giving me a run for my reputation of the 'Deadliest Shot'. If he takes this round, I'll have to switch my grid on. Is that acceptable, Sergeant Sagara?"

"Affirmative, sir. I've always wanted to see just how accurate you really are. Can we save the targets so we can compare notes?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way, Sousuke. I really wouldn't."

At that, Kurz brings in the targets and switches them while Sousuke reloads the shotgun, still blindfolded. Of course, Kaname is smiling proudly at him while wondering why it took so long for her to realize her feelings about her protector and beau.

Sousuke picks up on her thoughts, seemingly, and says, "I wasn't sure myself, Kaname. It could have been the first time you talked to me in Arbalest when you told me about all those horrible things they would have done to you. But, when I looked into your eyes in the forest in Khanka, I was done for. I felt a stirring inside me, but I pressed it down because of duty and obligation."

Kaname blushes and replies, "When you jumped out the window on that train and started crashing into benches, I was so worried you might have been hurt. You then told me that 'there wasn't a problem'. Of course, you also said you were there by coincidence. At the same time, I found you pretty interesting. You were the only one that made me feel so alive, awake and happy. You still are, my darling Sousuke. I'm sorry I called you an odd bird, Sousuke."

"I've been thinking about that and our current circumstances. If I am an odd bird, then there is no one else I'd prefer to be an odd bird to than you, Kaname." Sousuke blushed as he said it, resulting in a warm smile from Kaname, along with a blush.

"Sousuke, that's truly the sweetest thing you've said yet. When I saw you talking with that sweet old lady, I saw a spark of kindness in your eyes. I still can't believe that you thought the flirting portion was actually hunting for girls. While wearing a combat harness no less." Kaname gives him a light giggle as she rubs her finger into his chest, just as she did while dressed in her Mother's kimono.

At that, Sousuke gives her a quick kiss, still blindfolded. This catches her completely by surprise, prompting her to surprise him. She reaches her hand down to his groin, but is stopped when Robocop clears his throat.

"Shoot now, love later, you two. Unless you want to be alone in here with the smell of gunpowder acting as incense."

Blushing furiously, Kaname gives Sousuke a quick peck on his lips. She then steps away from him, still blushing as Ayame, Melissa and Kurz start giving the two teens catcalls.

Kaname thinks about the idea of 'gunpowder incense' and finds the idea interesting. Kaname then thinks, 'It'd be the perfect gift for Sousuke.'

At that, the competition resumes, with Kaname covering her ears, even though she's wearing hearing protectors.

Sousuke opens with a volley that wipes out the target's groin area, causing Kurz to flinch. Kurz then realizes that whether blindfolded or not, Sousuke is not to be trifled with.

As the shots to the groin are Sousuke's warning for Kurz to cease doing the catcalls. It also serves as an idea for Melissa the next time he misbehaves in the field. But, she won't do it, just yet. Seeing as she wonders just how much she'd be able to tolerate from Kurz's antics.

Robocop replies with a volley that destroys the chest area and blows off an arm on the target. Sousuke replies to the shot by elevating his shotgun 10 degrees and blowing a hole in the target's chest and neck areas. This results in another tie.

Robocop nods at the technicians, signaling that he's ready to use his targeting grid for the last round. Kaname removes Sousuke's blindfold and smiles proudly upon seeing his eyes.

The color of steel-gray within them fills her with courage as she thinks about their children together. Sousuke looks back into her brown eyes and sees hope within them.

Hope for an uncertain future. Uncertain to be sure, but a future nonetheless. All that they had gone through together, they would face together both physically and within their hearts.

Sousuke then swaps the shotgun for the rifle and primes it after removing the grenade launcher. Robocop switches on his targeting grid and waits for the signal. Sousuke switches the rifle's safety to 'Burst' and awaits the signal.

When it buzzes, both contestants open fire at a high rate of speed. This time, whoever obliterates the target completely first will be the winner.

Sousuke concentrates all his fire on the kill zones on the target, saving the limbs for last. Robocop starts with the limbs and works his way to the kill zones.

Since both are very proficient with their weapons, it results in yet another tie. Kaname smiles as she remembers her present from Sousuke. She then removes her other earring and hands it to Sousuke.

Sousuke gives her a smile and asks, "How about a tie-breaker, Commander?"

"What kind of tie-breaker, Sousuke?"

"Using grenades to 'kill' the targets. The grenade that does the most damage wins."

Robocop grins and replies, "I'm afraid we have no grenades of our own, Sousuke. Other than the flash-bangs the S.W.A.T. Team uses, we have no such grenades. But, since we have a tie, we'll flip a coin. Heads, I throw the grenade. Tails, you. Agreed?"

"Affirmative. Melissa, do you have a standard quarter with you?"

"Sure do, Sousuke. Commander, I'll allow you to inspect the quarter to ensure no funny business on my part."

"Thank you, Miss Mao. As it is your coin, you'll do the flipping." Melissa nods and brings out the coin. Robocop inspects the quarter and says, "The quarter is legitimate. Miss Mao, if you please."

"Sousuke, call it."

"Heads."

The coin lands in Melissa's palm, allowing both of them to see the result of the toss. Sure enough, the coin had landed 'Heads'. Sousuke nods, explains how to arm the grenade and how long he has to throw it. Robocop nods and follows the directions without difficulty. The grenade lands within one of the holes that Sousuke's rounds had made. When the grenade explodes, it finishes off the target.

Robocop nods and says, "You have impressive equipment, Sousuke Sagara, Sergeant of Mithril. I'm glad to have come across a worthy opponent in the spirit of competition. Matter of fact, I'd say that with our new armor, combined with the weapons you guys use, you'd be unstoppable in fighting terrorists on the ground."

Sousuke grins and replies, "Thank you for your compliments and your offer, sir. But our A.S. suits are quite capable of handling rounds from small arms fire along with serving our personal needs. However, I think it'd be a good idea to see just how effective your new armor is, just out of curiosity."

Kaname is taken aback as she thinks, 'Sousuke's rarely curious as he's a very knowledgeable man. The armor must have peaked his curiosity level.' She then smiles warmly at Sousuke and winks at him, causing him to blush.

At that, the group goes up into the Briefing Room. Sheila puts the video cassette into the VCR and presses play when all of them are seated. By the time they're done, Sousuke lets out a highly impressed whistle.

'Sousuke rarely whistles, even when he's highly impressed.'

"Fine armor, Commander Murphy. From the looks of things, I'd have to say it was a combination of Kevlar, steel trauma plates, strands of high tensile steel, titanium and an extra layer of Kevlar. The moisture must be handled by GORE-TEX. Would it be possible to get a look at one of the suits?"

"But of course, Sousuke. I've got some extra suits, thanks to a friend of a friend of mine." He then guides the group over to the suit rack and pulls one off. Zipping it open, he spreads it out on a table so Sousuke can get a closer look at it.

Sousuke's face lights up as he sees the inside of the suit. What he sees within it is nothing like he had expected.

"This is glorious, Commander. The ones that designed this suit have clearly outdone themselves. Like I said, we'll keep the offer in mind. Of course, I'd have to tell my C.O., along with the Commander and the Captain all about it. Chances are, they wouldn't believe me. Would it be possible to get a copy of the tape, just so they know?"

Sheila replies, "Sure thing, Sergeant Sagara."

At that, she ejects the tape and goes to the Video Room to dub a copy of the tape, as they had sent another copy to the manufacturer for feedback purposes. When it's done, she hands Sousuke the tape and smiles.

"This will make great viewing for your superiors, Sergeant. Once they see it, they will probably want to contribute to the manufacturer's business. All over the nation, Police Departments are buying them up. The results are staggering. The number of Officers killed have declined, rapidly. Even in high-crime areas like this one. Combined with our tactical helmets, we're pretty hard to kill here now."

Sousuke frowns and says, "I hope for your sake that you do not come across a 57mm shell. Commander, just how far did you test the armor?"

"All the way up to the Cobra Assault Cannon. It's the most powerful weapon I can think of offhand. All weapons I tested the sample with were utilizing armor-piercing ammunition."

"Under the circumstances, you did a top notch job, Commander. While I doubt you'd come across a 57mm, please keep this in mind. If you ever see an Arm Slave around here, encourage your Officers to seek and/or keep cover. It could very well keep them from being obliterated."

Kaname, aghast at the image, whips out her halisen and yells, "Sousuke!"

She then hits him on top of his head, saying, "The Commander and his forces are unlikely to come across Arm Slaves, you moody military maniac. The only way that would happen was if some lame-brain was to get an idea to attack Detroit with Arm Slaves."

Concerned for Sousuke, Robocop says, "He has a point, Kaname. Since we don't have access to weapons mostly used on Arm Slaves, his advice is sound. Sousuke, do you wish to press charges?"

"Negative. I'm used to it, so it's not a problem. Besides, she has a point as well. It's generally not a good idea to speak of morbid matters, especially Police Officers being obliterated by weapons not found in the civilian world unless, well, you get the idea."

"Affirmative. Let's hope that day never comes, Sousuke. By now, I'd say you're tired. So, why don't I have Sheila drive you to the house. We have plenty of room there."

Luke clears his throat and says, "Actually, Commander, I'd like my cousin, his girl and her sister to stay at my place for the night. We have some catching up to do still. It's at 548 Primrose Lane."

'My old home. How fitting. Let's hope the ending there is a lot happier than when Nancy found out about my death.'

Robocop's thought ends as he nods his head in agreement and asks, "How about you, Kurz and Melissa?"

Melissa replies, "I'm sorry, Commander. But Sgt. Weber and myself have to get back to the sub. Kurz is on getting us a helicopter to transport us. Maybe you can hang out with the cousins Sagara, Ayame and Kaname. Kaname, shall I tell Tessa what had happened?"

"Thanks, Melissa, that'd be great." Melissa nods as she waves goodbye to the others and starts chasing after Kurz.

Robocop chuckles and asks, "How did those two even come together in the first place? I mean, they seem so unlikely to be friends, let alone comrades in arms."

Kaname giggles and replies, "It all started at a training camp. Melissa told the story, so I think I can recall most of it. How about it, Commander? Care to join us?"

Robocop nods and says, "Sheila, please tell James where we're going. Undoubtedly, he'll come over as well. We have some history with that house." Sheila nods in reply as the cybernetic Commander and the group leave the Room.


	13. 548 Primrose and Departures

Journey to Insanity and Romance p 13

Disclaimer: I do not own Full Metal Panic or Robocop. Wish I did though.

Author's Note: This will have a pair of lemon scenes in it. It will also be the last chapter taking place in Detroit. The rest of the story will be happening in New York. Be ready for a dramatic ending to the story, as it will carry over to my newest story, 'Kim Possible and Street Hawk: Full Metal Mayhem!'.

548 Primrose and Departures

Davis and Robocop are in the front seat while Luke, Sousuke and Kaname are sitting in the back seat of Davis's personal car. Of course, the ride is somewhat bumpy because of the cyborg sitting in the front seat.

But, they take it in stride. After all, it's not every day they ride with a hero. Funny thing is, Robocop feels the same way when it comes to Sousuke.

He has saved the world numerous times, very much like another couple that he knows, and he's only seventeen. Just like that other couple was when he first met them.

When they get to the house, Robocop opens the door on Davis' Intrepid and steps out, lightening the load on the car's suspension.

He then takes a look at the house and sees some changes were made to his former residence. A elm tree in the front yard, a basketball hoop over the driveway and vinyl siding, just to name a few things.

Luke steps out and says, "I got it before OCP shut down. For some reason, no one even bought the place. It could be because the sales unit was destroyed. Apparently, someone wasn't very happy about it being in there. Or perhaps it said the wrong thing. I found some trashed items, including a crumpled picture. I've still got them, as it gives the house some charm and history at least."

Softly, Robocop asks, "Were there people in the picture?"

"There were. A family. A man, his wife and their son. The son was dressed as the devil. They looked so happy. I guess the picture was taken before the man's death, maybe about three months."

"You hit the nail right on the head, Luke. I was the one that took that picture. Then those creeps took me away from my family. I thank you for keeping them."

"It's not a problem."

Kaname's jaw drops as she hears those words from Luke's mouth. She then decides that he is like Sousuke in some aspects. Both she and Davis sigh in exasperation as the cousins walk into the house together.

Ayame then giggles, causing the other two to share a quick giggle as they follow the cyborg into the house, right behind the cousins Sagara.

Once inside, Kaname smiles as she sees the interior of the house. A fireplace, free of soot all around it, fresh flowers at both sides of it. A table with a memorial-type display in the middle along with a television set facing the table. The list goes on and on.

Ayame then says, "Very impressive, Luke. Must have cost you a substantial amount."

Luke nods and replies, "Yeah, I'll say. When I bought this place, the fireplace was covered in soot, there was a broken mug on the counter and the flowers were long dead, having been neglected for so long. From the looks of the damage, I estimate that Mrs. Murphy suffered a seriously broken heart that night. She blamed the world, the people responsible for her husband's demise, everything. In a way, I think she kinda blamed herself. Even though there was nothing for her to feel bad about. If she had unresolved issues, then she would have been more destructive."

Kaname nods as she imagines what would happen to her if anything took Sousuke away from her.

"_Miss Chidori, I come to you with a heavy heart. Sergeant Sagara is out on patrol. He was ambushed while within the ARX-7. He was unable to activate the Lambda Driver and never stood a chance." _

"_No, no, no, no! Not Sousuke! Sousuke!" _

_As soon as the Mithril Casualty Officer leaves after having given her the Mithril flag, she swallows the biggest lump she ever had within her throat. _

_An hour later, she comes out of the shock and writes down Sousuke's name and the words, 'Killed in Action'. When she's done, she looks around their apartment, strokes her five-month pregnant belly and starts sobbing. _

_Through her sobs, she vows, "I'll tell our child all about you, Sousuke. I'll tell him or her all about how brave you were in facing danger at all times and how much you loved us. We were to be married next month. Until we're together again, my darling." _

_At that, she starts screaming and trashing the apartment. Starting with picking up her Glock 26 and shooting the walls, leaving their pictures intact. _

_When she's done with her rage, she weeps some more, wishing that she could have told him so much more before he had left on his final mission. _

Tears fall from her brown eyes as she comes out of the nightmarish daydream and gazes over to her beloved. Sousuke catches her gaze and nods his understanding.

He then goes over to her side and holds her close, kissing her at the top of her head. When he wraps his arms around her middle, she smiles slightly and leans back against him.

She tilts her head back and kisses him on his chin, saying, "I love you, Sousuke. Please, keep yourself off the list. Please."

"I'll do all I can, Kaname. That's all I can promise."

"As long as you promise to make every attempt to stay alive, it'll be good enough for me. But I'd very much prefer you not knock on Death's door. I want you to be old and gray before you die. If it means quitting Mithril, then so be it. You've done more than you fair share of saving the world. Don't you think it's time for you to enjoy it?"

"Affirmative. I've been wondering about family since this morning. If anything happens, I'll switch my status to on-call, only for specific emergencies which require Arbalest."

Kaname blushes and giggles, saying, "Sousuke, that's the most beautiful idea I've heard from you yet. Would you like to start working on our family tonight?"

She then laughs when she sees Sousuke go rigid in his posture and sweating profusely. "Luke, if you don't mind, I think I'll take your cousin into one of your rooms so we can have ourselves a good time."

"Have at, Kaname. Just try to keep it down. Okay?"

"It will not be a problem. Not for a Specialist's girl." She then wriggles her way out of Sousuke's arms and drags him by his arms, very gently, toward one of the house's bedrooms. When she closes the door, they can hear her speaking softly, but cannot make out her words.

Inside the bedroom, Kaname undoes her blouse and removes her bra, smiling as she does so. She then takes down her skirt and panties, undoing Sousuke's slacks as well. When they're around his ankles, Kaname mounts him, pumping up and down on him. Sousuke comes out of the daze and helps Kaname with the pumping.

As he pumps her, he kisses her and says, "I love you, Kaname Chidori."

"I love you too, Sousuke Sagara." She then feels his essence bursting into her and clasps Sousuke into her arms. "Let's be happy for the rest of our lives, Sousuke. You deserve to be happy, just like I deserve happiness as well."

Sousuke smiles softly at Kaname and whispers into her ear. "Affirmative, my darling Kaname." Kaname blushes and smiles at Sousuke's endearment toward her before she kisses him again.

The rest of the night, they hear the occasional scream from Kaname and then giggling from her. Yet, somehow, Ayame, Luke and Davis are able to get some rest once the bedroom had quieted down.

Robocop looks around the house, nods in approval and walks out the door, knowing the house is in good hands.

He makes his way along the street when he hears James' Mustang come at him. He then grins as the former Police car stops beside him and the window rolls down, revealing his son's face.

"Need a lift, Dad?" Robocop nods and gets into the car. When he's in position, James directs the car toward their home. As they drive, James looks over at Robocop and asks, "You okay, Dad?"

"I'm fine, James. Thank you for asking. How's Diana holding up with her new face?"

"She's working it for sure, Dad. The Stoppables did a fine job on it." Robocop nods in agreement as the car gets to the house.

As it pulls into the driveway, Robocop glances to the left and sees a young woman with reddish color hair sitting at the window. He waves at her, with her returning the wave.

Both Father and son get out of the former Police car and go inside their house, with no knowledge about their neighbor.

The next morning, Kaname wakes up, nude and happy, just like the previous day in New York. She looks over at Sousuke and sees him smiling lightly with his eyes closed. She then kisses him on his lips and presses herself into his body. When he opens his eyes, he smiles at the lovely angel beside him.

"Good morning, Kaname." Wrapping her in his arms, he pulls her closer to him. Kaname grins and kisses him again as she mounts him. Eager for a quickie, she softly kisses him, knowing they have to depart soon.

"Morning, Sousuke. I don't know about you, but I think this'll be the best part of waking up. As long as you're with me, I feel safe and happy. Just like I told you in that amusement park while you were dressed as Bonta-kun."

She then feels his essence bursting into her, again. Collapsing on top of him, she grins and gives him another passionate Frencher.

Checking the time, she moans and dismounts him, causing him to look at the time as well. Kaname gives a light giggle as Sousuke rises up from the bed and starts to get dressed.

"Kaname, what does one say when they're saying good-bye to a relative, even though they'll see each other later? I spent so much time, treating Mithril as my family, that I seem to have lost touch with how to handle my actual family."

Kaname smiles warmly as she gets up from the bed, her breasts bouncing proudly as she moves.

Wrapping her arms around him, she kisses his back and replies, "Usually, the best phrase for one to say when dealing with that kind of situation is 'see you later', 'later gator', something along those lines. I can only hope that Luke can understand the situation you're in right now. I mean, you're a mercenary with a girlfriend, the two of you have just reunited, we have started working on our family and you're worried about offending him."

Sousuke nods and replies, "That makes sense. Looks like this arrangement has benefits after all. I protect you and you help me learn to cope in a world clear of war. Until I have to go into another hot zone, that is." Kaname nods her head against Sousuke's back, tears falling from her eyes.

Curious about an old assignment, Kaname asks, "Was it really that bad in Helmajistan, Sousuke? Did you come across any friends that may have survived the slaughter of your old unit?"

"Affirmative. Gauron and myself were the only survivors of that mission. I did come across an old friend, only for him to turn out to become my enemy. His name was Zaied. He taught me everything about survival in battle when I was only a boy of eight years old. I thought he had died when our base was attacked by Savages. Turned out he had survived it. I can't help but wonder if he was the one that caused the deaths of everyone else."

Sousuke can then feel Kaname shaking in anger. He turns around to wrap her in his arms and does so.

"No wonder you felt so bad, Sousuke. If I was in your shoes, I'd want some answers as well. Let alone suspect someone after having a chance to analyze things a little clearly."

Liking the feel of her breasts against his chest, Kaname routes her hand down towards his lower region, only for a knock on the door to interrupt them.

Ayame's voice can then be heard through the door. "Sousuke, Kaname, our flight leaves in two hours, guys. So quit screwing around and get ready."

Kaname grins and blushes, thinking, 'I was ready to screw around some more. Oh, well. We can wait until we get back to New York and then Tokyo so we can enjoy each other some more.' At that, Kaname squirms her way out of Sousuke's arms, gives him a quick peck and gets dressed.

An hour and a half later, the couple and cousin are at the airport, saying their good-byes. Of course, leave it to Sousuke to say a good-bye like a soldier would.

"I'll hope to see you on the battlefield soon, Luke."

Kaname clamps her hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter, knowing that Sousuke just said good-bye in his own unique way. Ayame goes to a nearby pillar and laughs behind it.

Davis comes up and asks, "You're leaving already? We were hoping to take a picture with you guys." Sheila and Robocop, along with James and Davis, had come to see the couple off.

Sousuke checks his watch, nods and replies, "We have time for a group picture. It's not a problem."

Kaname nods in agreement and gets into position as Davis sets the camera onto a nearby bench and sets it's timer. Once Davis gets into position, the flash goes off.

As she goes to retrieve it, a thief comes up and snatches up the camera, running as he does so.

Snarling, Sousuke brings out his dagger from within his sleeve and throws it at the thief. When the blade pierces the thief's back, Sousuke goes to retrieve the camera and his dagger, Robocop right behind him.

The thief is writhing in pain on the floor and swearing when he hears something he'd never expected anyone to say.

"Retrieval in fifteen seconds."

Sousuke said the words with a fiercely feral grin on his face while Robocop's face is clenched. When the two reach the thief, Sousuke picks up the camera and gets his dagger out of the thief's back.

As Sousuke cleans the blade, the thief says, "I'm suing you. 'Smitty' Shyster is gonna make a killing with my case. His brother Sammy will be so proud of him, picking up where he left off. What's your name, man? You grossly violated my civil rights."

Before he can say anything more, Sousuke grabs him by the collar and brings him up to eye level.

"You do not have the right to sue me, steal another person's property or demand my name. As far as I'm concerned, you have no civil rights. You lost them the instant you grabbed the camera. You were in the process of committing a crime when you received my dagger into your back. If anyone should sue, it's the lady you stole the camera from. She's even a Police Officer. The next time I see you steal another person's property, keep this in mind. It will be the last thing you ever do. Is that understood?"

"You're a plainclothes cop. You're not supposed to threaten me."

"What makes you think I'm with the Law Enforcement community? Not that it's any of your business, but I think it'll be safe to say I'm a mercenary and leave it at that."

He then turns to Robocop and says, "He's all yours, Commander Murphy. I'll return the camera to Officer Davis."

Robocop nods as Sousuke drops the thief onto the ground and walks back to the others. The thief lands so hardly, it results in another cry of pain.

Robocop chuckles lightly and says, "I'd say you got off lucky, creep. He's usually not this forgiving according to his friends. Be thankful he's feeling charitable."

His back still flaring with pain, the thief asks, "How is throwing a knife into my back charitable?"

"He could have blown your brains out the front of your head with his gun." That causes the thief to pale in fear over what the cyborg in front of him had just said.

While this is going on, Kaname cringes as she sees Sousuke's face go from angry to stony as usual then up to jovial. When he gets to her, she wraps her arms around him and checks him for wounds. Finding none, she smiles and kisses him.

Sousuke returns the kiss and hands Davis her camera as the couple kisses. When the time comes for them to board their charter, they walk out of the terminal together after Robocop handed the thief over to the Paramedics.

"Sousuke, I'll hope to see you on the battlefield as well. Kaname, take good care of my cousin for me. Please?"

Kaname winks and replies, "Affirmative, Luke. It will not be a problem."

At that, Luke gives all three of them a hug at the same time, causing them to start chuckling. When the couple and Ayame get onboard the plane, they give their friends and Luke a warm wave good-bye. Five minutes later, the plane takes off, heading for New York.

On board the Tuatha de Danaan, Melissa is heading for the hangar along with Commander Mardukas. Her intent is flying back to New York to meet up with Sousuke.

"Sgt. Major, I expect Sgt. Sagara to fully employ discretion on his part while in the States on vacation."

"About that, sir. Kaname used one of the earring grenades that Sousuke gave her on a mugger. It blew the mugger's head off. He threatened myself, Kaname, her sister, Kurz and Sousuke with death. He even went so far as to tell her his intentions for after she's dead."

"I thank you for your report, Sgt. Major. I was, however, speaking about Sagara's actions while on vacation for the remainder of the trip."

"Sir, yes sir!"

"Carry on, Sgt. Major."

"Sir, yes sir!" Little do they realize that an interesting situation will soon develop in the next two and a half weeks.


	14. Resumptions and Ground Zero

Journey to Insanity and Romance p 14

Disclaimer: I do not own Full Metal Panic! Wish I did though.

Resumptions and Ground Zero

Upon their return to New York, Ayame, Kaname and Sousuke brief Shunya on what had happened during their trip to Detroit.

Shunya nods in approval of Kaname's stance toward muggers, but also frowns on her using a grenade to protect herself and the people with her.

He then remembers that, sometimes, thieves will kill the victims to avoid prosecution.

Curious, he asks, "Does Mithril make cuff-link grenades?" Kaname's jaw drops while Sousuke ponders the question.

He then grins and replies, "I'll submit the idea, sir. I'm sure they could use a challenge in the workshop over at Munitions. It's where I had obtained the grenades for Kaname. I had them custom-made, just for her. No doubt, they could do the same for cuff-links. It's a strong possibility that they can handle it."

"Good, good. I was so wrong about you, Sousuke. Kaname told me about your past some, long before you two even got together. She told me that you had seen a lot of traumatic things and done some traumatic things as well. But she never told me your name. Just that you were interesting and funny at times."

"Some things get used to, Mr. Chidori. It certainly took a while for Kaname and I to get used to each other. There are still some moments when things get out of hand. Like the 'Full Monty Bacteria' did. My arms dealer friend must have been deranged sending me a canister that could potentially cause people to die of embarrassment."

Sousuke looks over at Kaname, blushes and adds, "Were it not for her efforts, along with mine, we would both be dead hundreds of times over."

Kaname nods and steps over to Sousuke. She then jumps onto his back and latches her arm around his neck, very gently. At Sousuke's sweating, she giggles and starts kissing his scar.

He's still his shy and innocent regular self, which she finds very charming about him. Even after what they had shared together. That is something she would never trade for anything. Not even to become a regular girl.

Shunya clears his throat, smiles and says, "I'd like to start personal defense training today, Sousuke. The sooner, the better and safer I'll feel when you and Kaname leave us. Hopefully, I'll be proficient enough to qualify."

"Affirmative. I just need to get some more ammunition. The competitions with Mr. Devlin, along with Commander Murphy, have seriously depleted my ammunition stock. The only ordnance I have remaining are the rounds for the SPP. Along with the fragmentation, concussion grenades and the C-4 along with the Nitroglycerin and TNT."

Kaname giggles again as the door opens. Sousuke hears it and silently moves to intercept the newcomer. He's about to make his move when he sees Melissa in front of him. He grins wickedly, steps up behind her and clears his throat. Melissa jumps a foot into the air with a yelp.

"Sousuke, is that any way to greet a friend, teammate and colleague? If you're going to spook someone, spook Kurz. I'm ready to help training Mr. Chidori with you if you are."

Shunya comes up and says, "Then it's settled. We should take responsibility for our own lives and not rely on others to protect us. If they're nearby, that's another story. Sousuke, I'm entrusting my eldest daughter's safety to you. If you two wish to wed, consider this my blessing."

"Uh."

Kaname laughs softly at Sousuke's utterance and gently tugs on his arm, pulling him through the door. At that, the group go out to the U.N. limo, get in and head to the gun shop to get some more ammunition. They then head to the range. Once there, Sousuke begins his teachings.

"Once you've primed the weapon, keep it downrange. There are various stances when it comes to opening fire on an enemy. The best one to use is a Weaver stance. It involves placing one leg behind you to brace your body for the recoil as some handguns do have quite a kick to them. Hold the weapon in both hands, not just one. Ignore the glorified movies where the hero shoots two guns at the same time. The only way to be able to pull it off is to have sufficient grip on the weapon itself. When it comes to finally shooting, aim center mass. Kaname, pick the weapon you'd like to use, if you please."

"I think I'll start with the Glock, Sousuke. Start small and work my way up."

"Affirmative, and a good choice. When it comes to the Glock, be sure to release the trigger right after firing as the trigger safety will prevent further use until the pressure is off and the weapon is primed again."

Kaname nods and loads a magazine into the weapon. Sighting down the barrel, she aims center mass and opens fire.

To her delight, she finds she's enjoying it, as the target's center mass is rapidly destroyed with every shot. When she's out of rounds, she ejects the magazine and puts it down on the table. When Sousuke brings the target in, he nods in approval.

"Excellent work, Kaname. You're a natural."

Blushing as she beams, Kaname replies, "It could be because I have an excellent marksman as my boyfriend and another as my Father." Now it's Shunya and Sousuke's turn to beam and blush at the same time.

"Ayame, you're next." Ayame nods at Sousuke and selects the Glock. Loading a magazine into the well, she waits until Sousuke has put the target into position. "Ready when you are, Ayame."

At that, Ayame opens fire. Unlike Kaname, however, her shots go to various spots on the target. Fortunately, however, Sousuke takes time to correct her stance.

"Spread your leg back a little further there. Perfect. Solidify your grip on the handle. Excellent. Okay, try again."

This time, Ayame hits center mass with the whole magazine. Shortly after running out of rounds, her belly growls. As does everyone else's.

Sousuke nods and says, "We have some time to eat. We'll come back tomorrow and, for the next couple of weeks, teaching the U.N.'s Diplomats after your lessons." The group nods in agreement and leave the range, with Shunya giving his friend a nod as thanks.

As they walk along, they see small eateries along the street. Shunya finds one that strikes his fancy and aims Sousuke into it.

"Sousuke, my boy, you are due for a truly filling meal. I remember what you told me about your usual diet. That may be all right in the field, but you're in my world now, bubba. Today, you shall try Italian. I recommend the Spaghetti with Meatballs with a side order of breadsticks. Kaname, the same thing for you. You're much too thin, daughter. If you were to be carrying a child, you'd fall down very often."

"Daddy!" Kaname's blush has Shunya laughing richly and he goes on to Melissa.

"Melissa, I recommend the Lasagna with Meatballs. It seems to have a calming effect on those that eat it while the Spaghetti cheers people up somehow."

At that, the group that had the meals recommended ordered them while Shunya and Ayame have Ravioli with Meatballs. Sousuke wonders what the deal is with all the meatballs.

So he looks at the Menu and lightly chuckles. The name of the eatery is 'Meatball Italiano'. He looks at the sandwich portion and snickers lightly when he sees the name of one particular sandwich. 'Meatball Pastrami Sub'.

He reads the description and nods, resolving to try it before he and Kaname leave New York.

"Pastrami made from meatballs. Interesting. This may very well merit scrutiny on my part." Once they get done with their meal, they go to the most sacred spot in the city.

Ayame and Kaname look at the memorial for the victims of a senseless hate crime. A crime committed by people that soldiers like Sousuke are sworn to stop. No matter what. Kaname takes a look at Sousuke and his stance, knowing that the life of a soldier is very unpredictable. She then subconsciously rubs her belly and smiles softly.

As he stands at Ground Zero, Sousuke looks at all the items that people had left over the years and recalls his duty. He then goes to Kaname's side and wraps an arm around her. Kaname leans herself into Sousuke's arm and snuggles into his side while standing.

"Had I known what was going to happen that day, I would have brought a group of M9s over here and caught those planes before such a senseless act could occur. Maybe then the terrorists would know it's not a good idea to screw with people that like freedom in all things. Including the freedom to live in peace."

"I agree with you on the idea for the M9s. Do you have anything that'd at least give some people some kind of hope?"

"Affirmative. However, it's my Mithril patch. I don't know if it'd be a good idea to leave such an item behind. Especially if one of Mithril's enemies gained intelligence that an Agent for Mithril had been here."

"Like people such as Gauron?"

"Affirmative."

Kaname slumps her shoulders as she realizes where Sousuke's coming from. If any enemy was to learn of an Agent's presence there, they'd go to any length to defeat that Agent. Including murdering innocent bystanders that are just going about their daily lives just to take care of their families.

Sousuke thenbrings out a piece of paper and writes on it. When he's done, he puts it down with the cards, nods to Kaname and she returns the nod. As the couple walks back to Shunya and Ayame, Kaname can't help but wonder what Sousuke wrote on the paper.

Back at the memorial site, a young boy sees a piece of paper with writing on it. He then picks it up and reads it.

"_Hang in there. All will be safe in time. No matter how many terrorists must die. This world will be safe to live in. Signed, Arbalest."_

The boy looks around, hoping to catch a glimpse of 'Arbalest', but only sees a young couple making it's way to three other people. Once the couple gets to them, the group then turns back to the site, allowing the boy to see a young man with an x-shaped scar on his left cheek.

The young woman with him smiles at his stony visage and gives him a peck on his scarred cheek. This results in a blush on the young man's face and the others to crack up laughing.

At that, the group leaves the site, as nondescript as when they had come to the site. The boy can't help but wonder if the young man is 'Arbalest' or if it was someone else. He then starts to hope it's the former. He puts the paper back down and returns to his parents, both smiling at his courage in facing one of America's worst times in history.


	15. Training Days and Phone Call

Journey to Insanity and Romance p 15

Disclaimer: I do not own Full Metal Panic! Wish I did though.

Author's Note: This will be the last chapter for this story as the ending of the chapter will carry over onto my newest story, 'Kim Possible and Street Hawk: Full Metal Mayhem!'. You will see what I mean by carrying over. For those of you that were looking forward to massive action scenes, they will be on the new story as well.

You see, Mithril and Team Hawk will be joining forces to defeat a common enemy. An enemy that Team Hawk had trounced several times already. Only this time, they'll be facing off against Sousuke's worst enemy, Gauron.

As I have yet to see the second season of FMP, I'm just improvising as I go along, borrowing references from the first season and 'Fumoffu'. Since I didn't know how Sousuke got his scar, I had to generate one that made the most sense. Same with the death of his parents.

I also apologize for the lack of Sousuke-speak for the most part. I also add apologies for adding a sense of humor for Sousuke along with a cousin, but I gotta make a story sound good somehow. What better way than giving Sousuke a sense of humor along with a cousin and then the determination to see the cousin safely through it? Just like he sees Kaname safely through her crises. Well, I hope you enjoy it.

Training Days and Phone Call

Over the next two weeks, Sousuke works on revamping the protection forces for the U.N. For six hours, every day, alternating the days, he teaches the Delegates and the protection forces to better protect themselves and their charges.

For the Delegates, he has instruction on weapons use, evasive driving and, if need be, emergency First Aid. For the protection agents, he uses the same lesson plans, only with more for the agents. This includes protection by knife-throwing, extreme hand-to-hand combat, advanced weapons training, along with assault-style driving.

In other words, using the vehicles as weapons for defensive purposes. He even includes using fragmentation grenades to decimate an enemy crowd along with flash-bang grenades for demonstrators that become somewhat belligerent toward the U.N.

He even gives Kaname some lessons in demolitions work should she come across a situation that calls for such skills. Such as a cave-in with lives on the line with Sousuke working on another situation or in case she comes across a terrorist wanting to use a bomb.

Of course, she was reluctant at first, but she understood where he was coming from. Within two days, she has proven herself adept at demolitions and disarming charges. To celebrate her success, she detonated a foot locker at Andy's range, which is where Sousuke had been giving her lessons.

In those two weeks, Sousuke starts to feel a sense of accomplishment and starts pondering if he'd make a good instructor when he gets somewhat older. Kaname, of course, gives him encouragement and huge amounts of kisses. Her success with the demolitions course encouraged her and expanded her mind.

Along with his conversations with Luke every other night, the cousins swap stories of what they've done in the past few years. Needless to say, they are both pleased with the rapport they were able to establish both in person and on the phone.

Ever since their reunion, Luke had gotten himself a phone and a number so he could contact Sousuke. During Sousuke's time in the States, he'll be receiving his calls from Luke through Shunya's phone.

At times, even Shunya would speak with the slightly elder Sagara cousin, just to get an idea of what Sousuke was like before the cousins Sagara lost touch with each other, only to re-establish ties to one another years later.

Needless to say, every time Shunya would hear something like, "Sousuke always knew how to cut loose and have fun", he would look over at Sousuke and shake his head in disbelief.

Kaname, however, is so impressed with Sousuke's previous life, that she thinks it's time for him to enjoy himself more often.

One morning, Kaname is not feeling well. She had just thrown up early in the morning and has done so for the past two weeks. Sousuke gets up from the bed and goes to her side.

He checks her forehead and says, "You don't have a fever, Kaname. Could it be something else altogether? Maybe a bad piece of meat."

"Yeah, that's probably it, Sousuke. It'll just pass in a few hours and I'll be fine." Thinking, she adds, 'I hope.'

She then gets up with help from Sousuke and he takes her back to her bed and tucks her in, giving her a kiss on her cheek and going to the chair to keep an eye on her. Just to be on the safe side.

Remembering his assignment in the first place, Sousuke sighs as he sits down. 'The protection of Kaname Chidori from harm.' He then mentally adds, 'Be it external or internal.'

As an afterthought, he goes to the medicine cabinet to find something to help with her stomach.

Of course, Kaname groans and laughs at the same time over her boyfriend's antics, finding them to be sweet and amusing at the same time. This goes on for several more mornings, causing Kaname to get curious.

She then elects to get herself checked out when she and Sousuke return to Japan and their friends.

Half a week later, Sousuke's communicator goes off. He had last heard from Luke the day before the previous two. Needless to say, he's starting to get worried about his cousin.

"Sagara."

"Sergeant Sagara, we just received word on Luke. He's been abducted by members of the 'Sho-Da-Kah'. It happened two days ago. Our sources indicate that he's been taken to Shanghai, in China. Odds are good that it is where the 'Sho-Da-Kah' had originally gotten it's start."

"When do I go after him, Lieutenant Commander?"

"You're not going after him alone, Sergeant. As you are aware, 'Team Hawk' seemingly has an ax to grind with this organization as well. So you, Urzus 2 and 6 will be working with the members of the team."

Sousuke swallows a lump that forms in his throat and asks, "How about Officer Davis? What's her status, sir?"

"Officer Davis was shot at multiple times, but she's all right. Her armored suit was what had saved her life. She managed to shoot one of them when another member of the group shot her with a tranquilizer dart. She was found later that night, bound and gagged in her Patrol car. At the moment, Captain Testarossa is making arrangements for contact with 'Team Hawk'. She has friends in the U.S. Government after all, so someone is bound to know who to contact. Just a moment, Sergeant."

Shortly, Sousuke hears the voice of his Commanding Officer.

"Sergeant Sagara, you are to meet with 'Team Hawk' in Lowerton, Colorado. The meeting is in two days. Challenge is 'Mithril', your reply is 'Team Hawk'. I'm truly sorry, Sousuke. I'll pray for the safety of your last living relative."

"Roger, Madam Captain. Urzu 7 out."

At that, Sousuke ends communication and breathes a long, shuddering sigh. Kaname comes up to him, sits down and pats the seat beside her. Sousuke nods and sits, allowing Kaname to wrap her arm around him.

"Don't worry, Sousuke. We'll get him back."

"Kaname, you're not going. I love you too much. I just can't stand the thought of you being hurt. Just like when you fell through the floor in that old Hospital. It scares me to think that you would come to harm, facing danger with me. I was scared that you had come to harm that night, Kaname."

Kaname smiles softly and replies, "I am going. Besides, like you said, when I'm with you, you can do just about anything. I love you so much, Sousuke. Where you go, I go. Come Heaven, Hell or high water. I'll always be with you."

She then giggles and asks, "Besides, what's the worst that can happen?"

"I hope we never find out, Kaname. I don't want to lose you, at all."

Kaname nods and clasps her boyfriend's hand, placing her fingers between his. At that, the two lovebirds fall asleep on the couch. Shunya comes to check on them and sees them sleeping somewhat peacefully. He then smiles warmly as he covers them both with a blanket and turns back in for the night.

Author's Notes: Well, that's it for this story. For the conclusion to this romantically wild story, please go to 'Kim Possible and Street Hawk: Full Metal Mayhem!'. After that story, I'll be doing the second prequel to 'Specialist and Schoolgirl'. For now, enjoy life and swear at terrorists behind their backs. Seriously!


End file.
